The Washington Department of Ecology has released footage of the aftermath of the chemical tank rupture at a Longview paper mill late last month that killed 11 people.
It’s some of the most intimate footage of the scene and the first look inside the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility since the May 26 disaster. The site has remained off limits to the media as crews worked to decontaminate the area and retrieve the remains of those killed.
The dramatic video, filmed on Thursday and released late Friday, shows several vehicles either flipped upside down or crushed by debris.
Also visible is the large collapsed chemical tank, almost resembling a crushed soda can, and various pieces of scrap metal scattered throughout the site.
A working area appears totally destroyed. The only evidence of what came before is a toolbox in the back and a Donald Trump flag hanging from the rafters.
It’s an eerie and disquieting scene from what’s been described as one of the deadliest industrial disasters in Washington state history.
The Cowlitz County Coroner is transporting the bodies of nine victims on Saturday to Longview from Seattle, where they were initially transferred for autopsy work.
The coroner’s office described it as a “solemn freeway procession,” and crowds of mourners are expected to gather at various overpasses along Interstate Highway 5.
It will be the first time that families will be reunited with their deceased loved ones since the incident took place, according to Brittney Goodsell of the incident’s Joint Information Center.
The rupture occurred in the early morning hours of May 26.
It took five days for first responders to locate and safely remove the remains of the nine victims who were inside the facility. Two others were pronounced dead at hospitals.
Officials with the Longview Fire Department said it was a challenging scene to navigate. Crews had to use hundreds of feet of hose to vacuum out dangerous chemicals.
FILE — Aerial views of the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview, Wash., showing the scene of a major chemical tank implosion at a Southwest Washington paper mill, May 26, 2026.
Brandon Swanson / OPB
The exact cause of the disaster is still under investigation. Families of the victims are demanding answers and said there were longstanding concerns about working conditions at the plant. At least two families said they have hired attorneys. Nippon Dynawave officials have defended the company’s safety record.
It’s still unclear when the plant — a major employer in Cowlitz County — could reopen. Nippon Dynawave has said it will continue to compensate employees through Aug. 8, at least.