The death toll from a chemical tank rupture at an industrial facility in the U.S. state of Washington has risen to 11 after authorities confirmed that all nine people previously reported missing have now been found dead.
Officials said the incident involved a tank containing “white liquor”, a highly alkaline chemical solution made of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used in paper pulp production, which exploded earlier in the week at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging plant.
In a broader industrial safety context, the incident has renewed concerns over hazardous material storage and emergency preparedness at large-scale manufacturing facilities.
Two deaths had initially been confirmed following the explosion on Tuesday, with search and recovery operations continuing for several days afterward.
Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue deputy chief Kurt Stitch said recovery teams worked through debris inside the facility while drones were deployed to scan surrounding areas.
The ruptured tank was reported to contain around 900,000 gallons (3.4 million litres) of the chemical mixture, raising concerns about environmental impact in the surrounding area.
Authorities confirmed that contamination had reached the nearby Columbia River, although no adverse health effects had been detected in the air quality or local drinking water supply.
The plant is operated by Nippon Dynawave Packaging, a subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Paper Industries, which acquired the facility in 2016.
Investigations into the cause of the tank rupture are ongoing as officials assess both environmental damage and workplace safety compliance at the site.
