Beginning Sunday, flags were flown at half-staff, where they will stay through June 7, Gov. Ferguson said.
LONGVIEW, Wash. — Flags across Washington state will continue to be lowered to half-staff through the week to honor those killed in the disaster at Longview’s Nippon Dynawave facility.
Gov. Bob Ferguson issued a directive ordering all flags to be lowered beginning May 31 and remain at half-staff through June 7.
“I am deeply saddened by the recent industrial tragedy that occurred at the Nippon Dynawave facility,” Ferguson said. “This mass casualty event has devastated Washington state. We grieve with the Longview community and the impacted families.”
On May 26, an approximately 600,000-gallon chemical tank storing white liquor — a mixture of sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfide and disodium carbonate used in the papermaking process — imploded around 7:15 a.m.
11 people have been confirmed dead, including Gilbert Bernal, age 52, of Kelso; Tyler Covington, 29 and Bradley Covington, 27 of Castle Rock; Robert “Robb” Wilson, 48, of Clatskanie, OR; Dale Miller, 54, of Portland; Jared Ammons, 35, of Longview; Braydon Finkas, 38, of Cathlamet; Clinton “CJ” Doran, 26, of Kelso; John Forsberg, 51, of Longview; and Norman Barlow, 58, of Vancouver.
Officials said responders have had to navigate hazardous conditions throughout the facility as part of the recovery process.
“This work has been intense, it’s been methodical and incredibly difficult for everyone that’s been involved,” said Deputy Chief Kurt Stich of Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue.
Officials have not released a cause of the implosion and have not said whether the tank showed signs of failure before the incident. They also have not provided a timeline for when investigators might release preliminary findings.
The investigation is expected to continue for weeks or months as authorities examine the damaged equipment and review conditions leading up to the blast.
KING 5’s Olivia Sullivan and Sebastian Robertson contributed to this report.
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