LONGVIEW, Wash. — Search operations continued Thursday as crews looked for nine workers still missing after a catastrophic chemical tank explosion at a Washington state paper mill claimed 11 lives, devastating a tight-knit community where mill work has been a family tradition for decades.
The victims include a devoted grandfather known for his willingness to help others and a 26-year-old newlywed remembered as selfless and compassionate, according to friends who have started fundraising efforts for the grieving families.
Officials have stated there is no possibility of finding survivors from Tuesday’s tank explosion at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility in Longview, marking it as one of the most devastating workplace tragedies in recent American history.
The damaged tank released more than 500,000 gallons (1.9 million liters) of white liquor, a highly caustic chemical mixture used in converting wood into specific paper products.
Emergency officials announced Wednesday that the recovery process would proceed carefully and slowly due to ongoing chemical hazards in the area.
The investigation into what caused the disaster remains ongoing, and officials have not yet made public the identities of the deceased workers.
Gilbert Bernal, a grandfather who worked as an electrician at the facility, was identified as the first confirmed fatality by his friend Todd Cornwell.
“He was one of the most genuinely good people that you’ve ever met. He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He was always there willing to help in whatever needed to be done,” Cornwell said.
CJ Doran, who was 26, was among those presumed dead, according to a GoFundMe post verified by the crowdfunding site.
He was a husband who was “the spiritual leader of their family, the joy of their home, and the family provider,” the post said.
Eight additional people sustained injuries from the tank failure, including one firefighter. Several victims suffered burns or breathing-related injuries, according to authorities.
The mill’s Japanese parent company, Nippon Paper Group, said in a statement Wednesday that it was offering its “deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families.”
Officials confirmed Wednesday that the chemical spill has not contaminated local air quality or drinking water supplies in Longview and surrounding areas. The city of approximately 40,000 residents sits near the Washington-Oregon border and has strong historical connections to paper and lumber manufacturing. Multiple generations of local families have been employed at area mills, and numerous residents interviewed had relatives or acquaintances with current or past employment at the Nippon Dynawave facility.
Work teams are currently flushing water from drainage areas near the plant and diluting it before directing it into the Columbia River, which runs alongside the mill.
While some contamination has entered the river, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported it has caused no observable impact.
