11 killed in Washington state paper mill chemical tank collapse

A storage tank at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging paper mill in Longview, Washington imploded on May 26, 2026, releasing about 900,000 gallons of a highly caustic solution known as white liquor (sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide). The rupture killed 11 workers; the bodies of the nine missing victims were later recovered, bringing the death toll to eleven. The incident contaminated the nearby Columbia River, but testing found no adverse effects on local air quality or Longview’s drinking water.

The plant, a subsidiary of Japan’s Nippon Paper Industries, was bought from Seattle‑based Weyerhaeuser for $225 million in 2016 and employs roughly 1,000 people. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the tank failure. The disaster has deeply affected the tight‑knit community, prompting vigils and raising concerns about the future of the mill, which remains a major local employer.