Washington state crews find body of another victim in paper mill explosion

Diana Winther, left, and Kellie Webber, embrace during an evening prayer and vigil in Longview, Washington, in support of the victims of the paper mill disaster. Photograph: Karen Ducey/Seattle Times/AP View image in fullscreen Diana Winther, left, and Kellie Webber, embrace during an evening prayer and vigil in Longview, Washington, in support of the victims of the paper mill disaster. Photograph: Karen Ducey/Seattle Times/AP Washington state crews find body of another victim in paper mill explosion Discovery brings death toll from chemical tank rupture in Longview to nine, with two workers still unaccounted for Crews on Friday recovered the remains of one more victim of a massive chemical tank rupture at a paper mill in Washington state , bringing the death toll to nine people and leaving two workers still unaccounted for. Among the 11 workers presumed killed in the disaster were two brothers who worked there together, a trivia champ and an electrician who would help his farmer neighbors cut hay. A tank containing more than 500,000 gallons of a mixture used to break down wood for making paper collapsed on Tuesday morning at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company in Longview, a city along the Columbia River. The collapse expelled a flood of caustic chemicals powerful enough to overturn pickup trucks and damage buildings at the site. The liquid, called white liquor, causes severe burns on contact and lung damage if vapors are inhaled. The recovery of victims has been slow and methodical, complicated by the dangers posed by the remaining chemicals and other industrial hazards, said Matt Amos, Longview fire battalion chief. Six bodies were found on Thursday. Crews were steering clear of a zone closest to the tank and they have been working with engineers to determine which damaged buildings near it are safe to enter. As they collect the remains, crews must decontaminate them before turning them over to the coroner’s office for identification. The searchers also must decontaminate themselves. View image in fullscreen Soldiers and air personnel offer support to first responders on Thursday. Photograph: Adeline Witherspoon/Washington National Guard/AP The tragedy is one of the deadliest US workplace accidents in recent decades and its cause is under investigation. Authorities have not released the names of those who were killed, but friends and relatives had begun confirming their names and posting online fundraisers to support their families. Among those presumed dead were brothers Tyler and Brad Covington, who worked together at the plant. An online effort to support Tyler Covington’s family noted he “leaves behind his wife and their three beautiful children, who are now trying to navigate a future without the man who was their rock, protector, and greatest source of love and support”. Gilbert Bernal, a grandfather who was an electrician at the plant, was the first confirmed death, his friend Todd Cornwell said. “He was one of the most genuinely good