The death toll from a chemical tank rupture at a facility of Nippon Dynawave Packaging in the US state of Washington rose to 11 after rescue crews recovered bodies of nine missing people, officials said Saturday.
On May 26, a tank containing "white liquor"— a chemical solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used in making paper pulp—imploded at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility, Reuters reported.
Recovery crews sifted through debris through the week and flew drones over the perimeter of the site, the report quoted Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue's deputy chief, Kurt Stitch as saying.
The tank contained about 900,000 gallons of white liquor, according to the report.
Authorities conducted tests that confirmed that contamination entered the nearby Columbia River. Negative health impacts have not been detected so far on air quality or the city of Longview's drinking water.
Japan's second-biggest paper manufacturer by sales, Nippon Paper Industries, had acquired the Longview plant from Seattle-based timber company Weyerhaeuser in 2016 in a $225 million deal. It later established the wholly owned subsidiary Nippon Dynawave Packaging.
After the confirmation of the contamination, the incident transitioned from a rescue operation to recovery on Thursday, Cowlitz 2 fire Chief Scott Goldstein said then.
"Testing of water samples has confirmed contamination entered the Columbia River.... Additional evaluations are underway to better understand the scope and extent of that environmental impact," Goldstein said.
"At this time, there ... continue to be no identified negative health impacts to ... the surrounding air quality or the city of Longview's drinking water system."
The incident occurred during a shift change at the paper mill, USA Today reported. Many workers were in an employee break room of the facility located at the small Washington town located on the banks of the Columbia River, opposite Oregon.
The local authorities have not released the names of the deceased workers.
Seven workers were rescued from the scene and hospitalized on the day the accident occurred. A firefighter was treated and released.
White Liquor is a key raw material used in the papermaking process. It is used to break down wood into pulp in the paper manufacturing industry.
About 550,000 gallons spilled out of the tank, cott Goldstein, a fire and rescue chief in Cowlitz County, Washington, had said then.
Officials have not ruled out the possibility of seepage from the ruptured tank reaching waterways. Authorities said there is no risk to the water supply, adding fishing and recreation on the Columbia River remain safe.
State ecology department officials, however, said a number of fish in the dike network have been killed and that may end up in the Columbia River as the flushing process continues. Locals have been warned not to touch dead fish.
