‘Unimaginable Grief’: Longview Community Shaken After Implosion at Paper Mill
Recovery crews are still searching a hazardous site as officials say six of nine victims have been recovered and the spill released more than 500,000 gallons.
- On Tuesday, May 26, 2026, a chemical tank imploded at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company in Longview, Washington, killing eight people and leaving three others missing.
- The tank was about 60% full during a shift change when it ruptured, spilling more than 500,000 gallons of white liquor, a highly alkaline solution used to break down wood chips in papermaking.
- Soldiers from the Washington National Guard's 10th Homeland Response Force are assisting first responders, while crews use drones to inspect the site before workers enter the hazardous area.
- Longview Public Works Director Chris Collins stated the city's water is safe, though crews are diluting chemicals to a safe pH level before flushing them into the Columbia River.
- Community members have raised more than $50,000 on GoFundMe to support victims' families, while friends remember Braydon Finkas and others lost in the tragedy.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Longview mill implosion may rank among deadliest, underscores industry dangers
Kraft pulp mills, which have been around for decades, use highly caustic chemicals known as white liquor and high‑temperature, high-pressure industrial processes to turn wood into paper and other products, making them inherently hazardous operations, industry experts say.
OPB’s First Look: Longview death toll climbs
Subscribe to OPB’s First Look to receive Northwest news in your inbox six days a week.Good morning, Northwest.Crews yesterday recovered six bodies from the Longview paper mill where a chemical tank ruptured earlier this week. The confirmed death toll is now eight.Today’s newsletter starts with the latest from the industrial site. We also look into the spill’s environmental impact, the role of paper manufacturing in the area, and the history of w…
Death toll rises in Washington paper mill explosion
Crews searching the site of the paper mill explosion this week in Longview, Washington, have recovered six bodies, bringing the confirmed death toll to eight, but the work to find all the missing has been slow because the area around a destroyed chemical tank remains dangerous. The post Death toll rises in Washington paper mill explosion appeared first on West Hawaii Today.
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