Emergency responders continued to operate at the scene in Longview, Cowlitz County, roughly 45 miles north of Portland, Oregon, as stated in a joint release from the Longview Fire Department, Nippon, and the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Department.
Several individuals suffering from chemical burns and other injuries were taken to local hospitals. Authorities indicated that the implosion did not pose “any immediate threat to the nearby community.”
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The statement confirmed that there were fatalities connected to the incident as well as “multiple critical injuries,” though specific numbers were not provided.
According to Scott Goldstein, chief of Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue, at least nine workers and one firefighter were transported to hospitals. He noted that the total number of fatalities was still “undetermined” during a press briefing.
PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview informed ABC News that it had treated nine patients related to the incident, including one fatality. Six patients were reported to be in fair condition, while two others had been transferred, the hospital mentioned to ABC.
The joint statement indicated that a tank holding “white liquor,” a chemical mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used in paper pulp production, ruptured around 7:15 a.m. local time (1415 GMT).
Goldstein highlighted during the press conference that the 80,000-gallon tank was approximately 60% full at the time of the incident.
Meanwhile, in Southern California, officials are monitoring an overheated industrial tank containing highly flammable methyl methacrylate. On Monday, the worst-case scenario of an explosion at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove was eliminated after a crack relieved some pressure buildup, according to officials.
Greg Barta, a spokesman for the Orange County Fire Authority, provided an update on Tuesday morning, stating that the temperature in the tank remained stable and that crews were working to facilitate the prompt return home of evacuated residents.
