A massive industrial chemical tank ruptured at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility in Longview, Washington, on Tuesday morning, killing at least one person and leaving nine employees unaccounted for, fire officials confirmed. Nine others were hospitalized with chemical burns and injuries.
The tank contained approximately 900,000 gallons of white liquor — a hazardous chemical mixture used in the paper-making process, according to the Longview Fire Department. The rupture, which officials initially described as an implosion, occurred around 7:30 a.m. local time.
“There were fatalities,” a fire department spokesperson said at an earlier news conference. The scene remained active Tuesday night as recovery and stabilization efforts faced “extremely complex” safety hazards, said Scott Goldstein, fire chief of Cowlitz 2 Fire Rescue.
Eight employees and one firefighter were hospitalized with chemical burns, fire officials said. The firefighter has since been treated and released. CNN has reached out to Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. for comment.
There is no threat to the surrounding community, the department said, while advising residents to avoid the area. State and federal agencies were responding alongside local fire crews. An investigation into the cause of the rupture is underway.
The Longview facility is located in Cowlitz County, southwestern Washington, near the Columbia River. Nippon Dynawave Packaging is a major employer in the region. The incident follows a series of industrial chemical incidents at U.S. manufacturing facilities this year, raising renewed questions about aging infrastructure at such plants.
Carlos Mendez — Americas Breaking News • May 27, 2026
