New video captures deadly Longview, WA chemical tank implosion
Video captures deadly Longview chemical implosion
Newly acquired video captures the moment a chemical tank imploded at a Longview paper mill, killing 11 workers and injuring eight others.
LONGVIEW, Wash. - New video captures the moment a tank of corrosive chemicals imploded at a Longview, Washington paper mill, resulting in 11 deaths and eight serious injuries.
The surveillance video from May 26, 2026, shows a chemical tank collapsing at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility, spilling hundreds of thousands of gallons of "white liquor" across the site.
Surveillance video captures the deadly Longview chemical implosion on May 26, 2026.
White liquor is a highly corrosive solution of chemicals used in paper production. The mixture appeared to flood the immediate area before white smoke began encasing the entire pulp and paper mill.
Surveillance video captures the deadly Longview chemical implosion on May 26, 2026.
The implosion killed a total of 11 workers and left eight others with chemical burns and inhalation injuries. It took several days to recover all the employees' bodies, as the site had to initially be cleared of hazardous materials.
The exact cause of the chemical tank failure has not yet been identified. State and federal agencies are expected to release a report about their findings later this year.
Victims identified
The implosion ranks as one of the deadliest U.S. workplace accidents in recent decades. All 11 victims who died from the incident have been identified:
- Gilbert Bernal, 52, of Kelso
- Tyler Covington, 29, of Castle Rock
- Brad Covington, 27, of Castle Rock
- Robert Wilson, 48, of Clatskanie, Oregon
- Dale Miller, 54, of Portland, Oregon
- Jared Ammons, 35, of Longview
- Braydon Finkas, 38, of Cathlamet
- Clinton "CJ" Doran, 26, of Kelso
- John Forsberg, 51, of Longview
- Norman Barlow, 58, of Vancouver
- Dillon Miller, who died at a Portland hospital
Most of the areas that were impacted by the spill have since been decontaminated. Some of the white liquor spilled into the nearby ditch system, but it did not make it into the Columbia River. Longview drinking water was unaffected, though 2,902 fish in the ditch system died.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the EPA, Washington State Department of Ecology, a public records request from the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office and previous FOX 13 Seattle reporting.