Death toll rises to 8 in Washington paper mill explosion as authorities struggle to conduct rescue ops

The death toll rises to eight in the devastating Washington paper mill explosion as authorities recover six more bodies from the site of the blast. According to The New York Times, firefighters believe that there are three more bodies that they have yet to reach.

This makes the tragic crisis the worst industrial disaster in Washington State's modern history. The crew is still at the site of the paper mill explosion in Longview, Washington, this week. However, the work to find all missing has been slow because the area around a destroyed chemical tank continues to remain dangerous.

On Tuesday this week, a tank holding 600,000 gallons of “white liquor,” a caustic chemical used in turning wood chips into packaging board used in milk and juice cartons, exploded at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging plant. On Thursday, emergency workers continued to search for the remains of the workers who were caught in the blast.

More from United States

The incident occurred during an early morning shift change. Matt Amos, a battalion chief with the Longview Fire Department, said that most of the dead and missing were in an area where employees gathered before getting their assignments for the day. Firefighters told local reporters that there are three more bodies that they have not reached yet.

Rescue efforts slow but ongoing

The authorities said that the search operation has become difficult because of structural damage to the plant and the mix of water and chemicals standing near the tank. Crews involved in the operation must wear protective gear and undergo decontamination and a health check each time they search.

Despite all the measures, they have not been able to approach the chemical tank itself and can enter the explosion site only a few times a day. Meanwhile, the Longview fire chief, Brad Hannig, said he knew families of missing workers were anxious for clarity, but that recovery crews had to balance that desire for information with the risks they faced.

Hannig went on to describe the site as "an active and hazardous environment.” Several factors are also affecting the investigation into the incident. Although there are some surveillance cameras at the paper mill, the camera network does not make it clear where all the missing staff were at the time of the chemical release.

The damaged chemical tank is unstable and is still leaking. It’s also at the heart of a complex industrial site criss-crossed by pipelines, power lines and chemicals. All this makes it hard to use aerial drones to assess the site and seek out missing people.