Search for victims continues as death toll rises in Washington chemical explosion

Search for victims continues as death toll rises in Washington chemical explosion 12 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleMax MatzaSeattle, WashingtonWatch: Community gathers as workers remain missing after chemical blastRecovery crews are continuing to search for nine people who went missing when a tank containing a highly-corrosive industrial chemical ruptured on Tuesday at a paper mill in Washington state.Officials say that two people are now known to have died in the accident at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility. Seven others have been injured.The accident scene "still remains active, and its extremely hazardous in the recovery environment", Matt Amos, battalion chief of the Longview Fire Department, said at a news conference on Wednesday.A large volume of contaminants has entered the Columbia River, but local drinking water and air quality remain unaffected, officials say.Recovery efforts were suspended overnight at the plant - 130 miles (210km) south of Seattle - due to the risk of operating in the darkness. Operations resumed early on Wednesday morning."Recovery efforts were delayed due to safety concerns of the structural integrity of the damaged tank," the Longview Fire Department said in a joint statement with Nippon Dynawave.Officials say the tank ruptured, spilling hundreds of thousands of gallons of white liquor, an alkaline solution used to make paper products. They say about 25,000 gallons remain inside the tank, but the chemical is still slowly leaking out. Photos from the scene show the ruptured tank, as well as crushed and overturned vehicles.Officials have said they do not expect to find any more survivors."As individuals are recovered they will undergo decontamination before being transported to the Cowlitz County Coroner's Office for identification and family notification," the joint statement said.One injured person who was taken to hospital on Tuesday later died of their injuries, raising the co...