We are saddened to report that 11 bodies have been recovered from the site of last week’s explosion at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging plant in Longview, Washington, last Tuesday. The search had been ongoing since the explosion.
Crews recovered the bodies of two workers who were still missing after an explosion this week at a paper mill in Longview, Wash., bringing the death toll to 11, officials said Saturday.
Initially, two people were found dead and nine workers were reported missing after a tank holding 600,000 gallons of a caustic chemical known as “white liquor” exploded on Tuesday morning at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging plant on the Columbia River in southwestern Washington. The paper mill uses the chemical to turn wood chips into packaging board used in juice cartons.
The search for the missing carried on through the week and was complicated by the treacherous conditions at the blast site. Crews had to wear special protective gear and undergo a decontamination process because of the dangerous chemicals still present.
The names of the victims have also been released:
At a news conference on Saturday, Dana Tucker, the coroner in Cowlitz County, Wash., confirmed the identities of the victims. They were 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 given.
At the time of the blast, most of the victims had been gathered in an area where workers receive their assignments for the day, officials said.
The last two sets of remains were recovered Saturday.
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Federal and state officials have, reportedly, been constantly watching air and water quality to determine if there is any hazard to the surrounding area. So far the area’s drinking water is still reported to be safe, although locals have been asked to stay out of any waterways downstream from the plant.
The plant employs about 550 workers, although this mishap has put the facility’s future operation in serious doubt.
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