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

May 30 (Reuters) - The ‌death toll ​from ​a chemical tank rupture in the U.S. 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.

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.

(Reporting by Anusha Shah in Bengaluru；Editing by William ‌Mallard)

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