Officials said on Saturday they had rescued all nine workers from the site of Tuesday’s Nippon Dynaware implosion, which killed 11 people.
All the remains of the nine victims who went missing on Tuesday have now been recovered from the accident site. Catastrophic chemical tank rupture Nippon Dynawave paper mill in Longview, officials said Saturday.
A total of 11 people died, according to the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office.
Cowlitz County Coroner Dana Tucker confirmed at a news conference that all nine people have recovered and been identified, and two of them have been transported to the hospital. One of the men, Dillon Miller, was taken to a Portland hospital, so Tucker could not provide more information because it was outside her jurisdiction.
Tucker said the agency has determined Gilbert Bernal52, Kelso; Tyler Covington, 29, Castle Rock; Brad Covington, 27, Castle Rock; Robert Wilson, 48, Claskanie; Dale Miller54, from Portland; Jared Ammons, 35, from Longview; Brayden Fincas38, of Castlelamet; Clinton Duran, 26, of Kelso; John Forsberg, 51, of Longview; Norman Barlow, 58, of Vancouver; and Dillon Miller.
Tucker called the May 26 incident “one of the most significant tragedies our community has experienced since the eruption of Mount St. Helens.”
Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue Deputy Chief Kurt Stich said crews have been working in an indoor area strewn with tables, large cabinets and debris, calling the process “physically laborious” because crews had to move some heavy items. They also have to constantly check the area, either physically or via drone flyover, to make sure they don’t miss anything.
“This job is very intense. It’s very regimented and very difficult for everyone involved,” Stich said.
Scott Tift, president of the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers (AWPPW) union, focused on the emotional toll of the disaster, saying, “The loss and heartbreak that is being experienced right now extends far beyond this facility and this community.”
“These men are not just employees or union members, they are fathers, sons, friends, mentors and colleagues who help build this facility and this community every day,” he continued.
He also thanked the community and beyond for the outpouring of love and support that has meant so much to the victims and their families during the darkest moments of their lives. Donations can be sent directly via www.cwCLC.org.
Tift noted the long and heartbreaking process of recovering the bodies, but stressed that the effort must be “conducted carefully, methodically and safely” and maintain the integrity of the scene so investigators can determine what exactly happened. AWPPW is continuing to work with local, state and federal agencies during the investigation.
“This stuff will eat your skin”: “This stuff will eat your skin”
Brooks Stanfield of the EPA and Courtney Serard of the Washington State Department of Ecology briefly reviewed the impacts of wildfires, saying they are seeing a steady increase in dead fish, mostly carp, in a network of ditches and canals and that people should continue to report impacts to 1-800-22-BIRDS, which is monitored by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Serard said most of the dead fish collected were close to ditches.
