A chemical storage tank incident at a paper mill in Washington State, USA, has resulted in one death and nine people missing.

A major chemical accident occurred at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging pulp and paper plant in Langley, Washington State, early Tuesday morning, resulting in at least one death, nine employees still missing, and ten people hospitalized—including nine plant workers and one firefighter. The incident happened around 7:15 a.m. local time, involving the rupture or implosion of a chemical storage tank containing "white liquor." White liquor primarily consists of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide—strongly corrosive alkaline chemicals used in the pulping process of papermaking. Injured individuals suffered chemical burns, inhalation injuries, and other conditions ranging from mild to critical. Local fire departments stated that the scene has stabilized but remains in recovery and search-and-rescue phase, urging the public to avoid the area surrounding the facility. There are currently no signs indicating the incident poses a threat to the broader community.

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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866323418392651/

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