SAN FRANCISCO, May 27 (Xinhua) -- One person was confirmed dead and nine others remain missing after a chemical tank imploded Tuesday at a paper mill in Longview in the U.S. state of Washington, according to local authorities on Wednesday.
The incident occurred at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility, part of Japan-based Nippon Paper Group, a pulp and paper mill in Longview, about 50 miles northwest of Portland, Oregon. The ruptured tank contained about 900,000 gallons of "white liquor," a caustic chemical mixture used in the paper-making process, officials said.
Nine people were injured, including eight employees and one firefighter, some of whom suffered chemical burns.
Authorities said the damaged tank remains unstable, with about 90,000 gallons of chemical material still inside, hampering recovery operations. Emergency crews are working to stabilize the site and recover the missing workers. Officials said there was no immediate threat to the surrounding community.
The cause of the tank failure remains under investigation. It is the second notable chemical tank failure in days on the West Coast, following the evacuation of thousands of southern California residents due to a damaged tank at an aerospace plant on Monday.
