Two confirmed dead in search for people missing after Longview implosion

U.S. newsTwo confirmed dead amid search for missing in Longview implosion Washington was bracing for the state’s ‘deadliest industrial tragedy,’ Gov. Bob Ferguson said Wednesday following the rupture of a tank at the Nippon Dynawave plant.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleAt least one person dead after chemical tank rupture in Washington state02:09Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 27, 2026, 5:07 PM EDTBy Suzanne GamboaOfficials raised the death toll to two in the deadly implosion of a massive tank holding noxious chemicals at a paper and pulp manufacturing plant in Longview, Washington. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The second death was of a person who had been transported from the Nippon Dynawave Plant to the hospital with injuries from the rupture of the tank — built to hold 900,000 gallons, officials said Wednesday. An additional nine people have not been accounted for since the Tuesday morning accident and seven employees are hospitalized with injuries, officials said. One injured firefighter was treated and released.“We’re bracing ourselves for this being the deadliest industrial tragedy in modern Washington state history. When you have a tragedy of that scale, the impacts on individuals, on families, and on communities is profound,” Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said at a news conference Wednesday.Scott Goldstein, Cowlitz County Fire Chief, said officials do not know the locations of the nine who are still missing. “We have searched the area, the area that is searchable. We do not have the ability to state that we have located all nine, nor the ability to state where those nine were,” Goldstein said. Images showed the spherical tank was partially collapsed and bowed to the side with a large side ripped open. The implosion occurred at about 7:15 a.m. during a shift change. “First responders, emergency workers, and nurses saw unthinkable h...