Eleven confirmed dead in Washington state chemical accident, all bodies recovered

Search for missing carries on through week as recovery crews work through debris in indoor areas

The death toll from a chemical tank rupture in the US state of ​Washington climbed to 11 as crews ‌recovered the bodies of all nine missing people, authorities said on Saturday.

Two fatalities had been confirmed after ​the tank containing "white liquor" - a chemical ​solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide ⁠used in making paper pulp - imploded ​at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility on Tuesday.

The ​search for the missing carried on through the week as recovery crews worked through debris in indoor ​areas and flew drones over the perimeter ​of the site, said Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue's deputy ‌chief, ⁠Kurt Stitch.

The ruptured tank contained about 900,000 gallons (3.4 million liters) of white liquor, and tests confirmed that contamination entered the nearby ​Columbia River, officials ​have ⁠said, although no "negative health impacts" had been detected on air quality ​or the city of Longview's drinking ​water.

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Nippon ⁠Paper Industries, Japan’s second-biggest paper manufacturer by sales, acquired the Longview plant from Seattle-based timber ⁠company ​Weyerhaeuser for $225 million and established ​the wholly owned subsidiary Nippon Dynawave Packaging in 2016.