Longview implosion victims' cause of death identified by officials

The causes of death for 10 of the 11 workers who were killed during the implosion at a Longview pulp and paper mill have been released by the Cowlitz County coroner's office.

All 10 died of chemical burns, the coroner's office said in a news release Thursday. One of the men also died of blunt force injuries and another also died of asphyxia due to aspiration of foreign object.

A tank imploded at the pulp and paper mill more than two weeks ago, releasing hundreds of thousands of gallons of the caustic chemical compound "white liquor" during a shift change on May 26.

"White liquor" is used to break down wood into pulp. The chemical is like "really concentrated bleach," Dr. Mark Thomas at the Legacy Oregon Burn Center told The Seattle Times. Exposure is especially concerning because of how deep it can seep into the body, he said.

The implosion also injured nearly 20 people, including 10 who went to local medical facilities afterward but were not initially listed as injured.

Gilbert Bernal, Tyler and Brad Covington, Dale Miller, Robb Wilson, Jared Ammons, CJ Doran, John Forsberg, Braydon Finkas, Norman Barlow and Dillon Miller were sons, brothers, fathers, grandfathers, husbands and newlyweds.

The industrial disaster is one of Washington's deadliest in a century.

Materials from The Seattle Times archives were used in this report.

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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 5:02 PM.