Authorities in the north-western US state of Washington confirmed six more deaths on Thursday following an industrial incident involving the rupture of a tank containing chemicals at a paper mill.
One person was confirmed dead on Tuesday following the rupture of a tank containing white liquor, a chemical solution used to break down wood chips into pulp, at Nippon Dynawave Packaging in Longview, near Washington State's border with Oregon. Another Nippon Dynawave Packaging employee was initially rescued but later died of his injuries.
The Longview Fire Department on Thursday said that the bodies of six of nine missing employees - all presumed dead - had now been recovered, bringing the confirmed death toll to eight.
Recovery operations were expected to continue slowly due to the dangers posed by the remaining chemicals.
Eight people, seven employees and one firefighter, were also injured in what state Governor Bob Ferguson said would probably be "the deadliest industrial tragedy in modern Washington state history."
The packaging plant is located next to the Columbia River, which separates the states of Washington and Oregon. According to local authorities some of the white liquor leaked into the river during the accident. Samples have confirmed contamination, but there was initially no danger to the Longview City water supply.
