8 confirmed dead in paper mill implosion in U.S. Washington state

SAN FRANCISCO, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The bodies of six of the nine employees reported missing have been recovered following a chemical tank implosion at a Japanese-owned paper mill in Longview in the U.S. state of Washington, pushing the death toll to eight, local fire officials said Thursday.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said Wednesday that the incident could become the deadliest industrial tragedy in modern Washington state history, after two people were found dead earlier and three others remained missing and were presumed dead. Multiple people were also injured, including company employees and a firefighter. Recovery efforts were continuing.

The incident occurred Tuesday morning at a facility owned by Nippon Dynawave Packaging, a subsidiary of Japan's Nippon Paper Group.

The incident involved a tank containing "white liquor," a corrosive chemical solution used in pulp and paper processing, with a capacity of about 900,000 gallons, officials said. The implosion caused a large release of corrosive chemicals.

Local officials said the chemical spill had contaminated the Columbia River while local drinking water remained safe. Environmental agencies were monitoring air and water quality and carrying out cleanup work.

The six victims were found in an area where workers usually gathered in the morning to receive their assignments for the day, according to the Longview Fire Department.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has launched an investigation into the incident. Enditem