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Mill incident death toll increases - Printweek
WashingtonGDELTGDELT event0% biasedThu, May 28, 2026, 12:00 AM
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Mill incident death toll increases - Printweek.In the latest briefing about the incident from emergency services and authorities dealing with the aftermath, it was confirmed that one of the ten people taken to hospital had since died.One worker perished immediately after the incident on 26 May, when a huge tank containing 900,000 gallons of chemicals used in pulp manufacturing ruptured.He has been named as 52-year-old instrument technician Gilbert Bernal.Work is ongoing to recover the remains of the nine missing employees in extremely challenging circumstances due to the amount of highly alkaline white liquor that has contaminated the area.White liquor is mostly made up of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulphide.In an update yesterday afternoon at 1pm local time, Washington State, Longview Fire Department battalion chief Matt Amos said recovery operations would be “slow, methodical and deliberate”.“The priority is ensuring responder safety while treating every victim with the greatest dignity, care and respect as possible,” he stated.“As individuals are recovered from the site they will undergo decontamination before being transported to the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office for identification and family notification.” Seven other employees remain hospitalised.There is also a major environmental incident underway due to the tank rupture, with confirmation that the nearby Columbia River has been contaminated with spikes in pH levels in the waterway.The volume of the spillage meant it was not contained by the mill’s own systems.The United States Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Ecology are working at a nearby industrial pumping station to try and draw away contaminated water away from the sloughs close to residential areas and the city’s water supply.Longview Fire Department said that the city’s drinking water remained safe to drink and is being “continuously monitored”.“The hydrant flushing operations are part of a proactive effort to protect waterways and the community’s water system,” the fire service said.The public has been asked to avoid drainage ditches and waterways in the affected areas while operations are underway.Nippon Dynawave Packaging is owned by Japanese group Nippon Paper Industries.