Crews recovered the remains of six of nine missing workers on Thursday, confirming that the total death toll from a Tuesday industrial disaster has reached 11, officials said. Emergency personnel continue searching the site in Longview, Washington, for the three employees still unaccounted for.
The incident began when a massive storage tank at the facility ruptured, sending more than 500,000 gallons (1.9 million liters) of a chemical mixture flooding across the plant floor, authorities said. The chemical is used to break down wood in paper production and officials warned the released liquid can cause severe burns and lung injuries.
The structural failure struck during a morning shift change, leaving crews unprepared for the sudden breach. First responders faced hazardous conditions immediately upon arrival as the caustic mixture spread through the industrial workspace.
Longview fire battalion chief Matt Amos said the six recovered workers had been standing in a designated staging area when the tank collapsed. That area serves as a morning congregation point where employees wait to receive their daily work assignments.
Three additional workers remain missing in the aftermath of the collapse. The disaster has also left eight other employees with injuries, according to officials tracking the casualty count at the facility.
Authorities described the scale of the tragedy as one of the deadliest U.S. workplace accidents in recent decades. The multi-casualty incident has drawn immediate attention from state labor and safety regulators.
The plant is operated by Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. and sits along the Columbia River in southwest Washington. Local emergency management agencies have coordinated with state responders to maintain a secure perimeter around the breached infrastructure.
Search teams continue to navigate the hazardous environment as they look for the final three missing workers. Officials have not yet released a timeline for when the facility might resume normal operations or when the investigation into the tank’s failure will conclude.