Washington state crews find body of another victim in paper mill explosion

Crews on Friday recovered the remains of one more victim of a massive chemical tank rupture at a paper mill in Washington state , bringing the death toll to nine people and leaving two workers still unaccounted for. Among the 11 workers presumed killed in the disaster were two brothers who worked there together, a trivia champ and an electrician who would help his farmer neighbors cut hay. A tank containing more than 500,000 gallons of a mixture used to break down wood for making paper collapsed on Tuesday morning at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company in Longview, a city along the Columbia River. The collapse expelled a flood of caustic chemicals powerful enough to overturn pickup trucks and damage buildings at the site. The liquid, called white liquor, causes severe burns on contact and lung damage if vapors are inhaled. The recovery of victims has been slow and methodical, complicated by the dangers posed by the remaining chemicals and other industrial hazards, said Matt Amos, Longview fire battalion chief. Six bodies were found on Thursday. Crews were steering clear of a zone closest to the tank and they have been working with engineers to determine which damaged buildings near it are safe to enter. As they collect the remains, crews must decontaminate them before turning them over to the coroner’s office for identification. The searchers also must decontaminate themselves. Soldiers and air personnel offer support to first responders on Thursday. …