Paper Mill Explosion in Washington: Final Missing Workers Found

The remains of the two workers who were still unaccounted for after a blast at a Washington State paper mill were located on Saturday, officials announced. This discovery concluded the search and raised the death toll to 11.

On Tuesday morning, an explosion occurred at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging plant in Longview, Washington. A tank holding 600,000 gallons of “white liquor”, a chemical the plant uses to turn wood chips into packaging board, exploded. Initially, two deaths were confirmed, and nine workers were missing.

The search continued throughout the week amid treacherous conditions at the explosion site. Crews needed special protective gear and underwent a decontamination process due to lingering hazardous chemicals.

In a news conference, Dana Tucker, Cowlitz County coroner, confirmed the victims’ identities. Those who lost their lives include Gilbert Bernal, 52, Tyler Covington, 29, Brad Covington, 27, Robert Wilson, 48, Dale Miller, 54, Jared Ammons, 35, Braydon Finkas, 38, Clinton Doran, 26, John Forsberg, 51, Norman Barlow, 58, and Dillon Miller, whose age was not provided.

Many of the victims were present in an area where they received daily assignments during the time of the blast. By Thursday, search teams had already located seven of the missing individuals. Crews continued sifting through the debris, which was strewn with heavy items, until the final two were found on Saturday, said Kurt Stitch, deputy chief of Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue.

Ms. Tucker noted that the identification of the remains recovered on Saturday involved multiple methods, with dental records and further forensic procedures still pending. “This work has been intense,” Chief Stitch stated. “It’s been methodical, and incredibly difficult for everyone involved.”

The plant explosion ranks among the deadliest industrial disasters in recent years. Nippon Dynawave has expressed its cooperation with investigations into the blast’s cause. The incident also raises concerns regarding the plant’s future, its 550-member workforce, and implications for the local economy. In the past, paper mills served as significant employment sources, but many have closed due to globalization and economic shifts.

Federal and state environmental officials have monitored the air and waterways since the explosion. They confirm the safety of drinking water but advise the public to avoid waterways impacted by the storm drainage system contamination. The Columbia River, given its vastness, poses little contamination risk, officials said.