Deaths reported after tank implodes at Washington pulp and paper mill

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — The implosion of a chemical tank at a pulp and paper mill in Washington state Tuesday killed an undisclosed number of people, local authorities and company officials confirmed.

In a joint statement, Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. and local law enforcement said the tank’s rupture caused “multiple critical injuries” as well as fatalities.

Authorities said there was no immediate threat to the public.

Mike Gorsuch, battalion chief with the fire department in Longview, Washington, described it as a “mass casualty scene.” He said first responders had decontaminated patients and taken them to hospitals in Longview and Vancouver, Washington.