Autopsy Results Released for 11 Victims of Nippon Dynawave Chemical Tank Rupture in Washington
The Cowlitz County Coroner's Office has released autopsy findings confirming that all 11 workers killed in the May 26 tank failure at Nippon Dynawave Packaging in Longview, Washington, died from alkaline chemical burns, with some victims also sustaining blunt force injuries or asphyxia. The incident, in which a 900,000-gallon white liquor tank catastrophically failed, has been described as the worst industrial accident in Washington state's modern history. State and federal agencies are still investigating the cause of the failure, and the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries probe is expected to take approximately six months.
On May 26, 2026, a massive tank containing white liquor — a caustic chemical mixture of sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfide, and disodium carbonate used in paper pulp production — catastrophically failed at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility in Longview, Washington, killing 11 employees and seriously injuring others. Aerial and ground-level imagery of the site shows widespread destruction, with the collapsed tank surrounded by white chemical residue across much of the facility grounds. The Cowlitz County Coroner's Office completed autopsies on 10 of the victims, finding that eight died solely from alkaline chemical burns, while Robert Wilson, 48, also sustained blunt force injuries, and Braydon Finkas, 38, died from chemical burns combined with asphyxia due to aspiration of a foreign object. The eleventh victim, Dillon Miller, 27, was transported to a Portland hospital and fell under Multnomah County jurisdiction; that office determined his cause of death as sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide burns, consistent with the other findings. All deaths were ruled accidental. Cowlitz County Coroner Dana Tucker described the event as one of the most significant tragedies the community has faced since the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Nippon Dynawave has not released details about the cause of the tank failure, and no state agency is reported to routinely inspect tanks of this type.
What's missing
The precise mechanical or operational cause of the tank's catastrophic failure has not been disclosed by Nippon Dynawave or investigators.
How coverage differed
Coverage was largely consistent across outlets. The NYT framed the story with emphasis on the scale of the tragedy as a historic event, while KATU and ABC News provided more granular detail on individual victims and investigative timelines. No meaningful ideological framing differences were observed.
What different sources said
- ABC NewsCenter
Cause of death released for 11 victims in Washington chemical tank rupture
- KATUCenter
New autopsy findings released for victims of Nippon Dynawave disaster in Longview
- NYT USLeft
Workers at Washington Paper Mill Died of Chemical Burns
- OregonLive.comCenter
Officials announce causes of 11 deaths in Longview mill implosion
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