LONGVIEW, Wash. — Several people suffered chemical burns and inhalation injuries Tuesday morning when a tank containing hazardous liquid imploded at a pulp and paper mill in southwestern Washington state, authorities said.
It was not immediately clear how many people had been injured or how seriously, but Mike Gorsuch, battalion chief with the fire department in Longview, Wash., described it as a “mass casualty scene.” He said first responders had decontaminated patients and taken them to hospitals in Longview and Vancouver, Wash.
The Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility is a pulp and paper mill and liquid packaging plant that makes material for tissues, printing paper, cups, plates, cartons and other goods. It employs about 1,000 people, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology.
About 40 firefighters and paramedics responded, along with a regional hazmat team, Gorsuch said. The incident was reported at 7:19 a.m.
Nippon Dynawave did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Authorities said there was no immediate threat to the public.
In Southern California, thousands of Orange County residents remained evacuated Tuesday due to a damaged chemical tank at an aerospace plant.
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