The latest: 2 dead, 9 missing after tank implosion at Longview paper mill

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]Tonight, investigators are scrambling to find answers on what caused that implosion of a chemical tank at a paper mill in Long View. Two people are dead.

[00:00:08]Nine others are still missing tonight and believed to have died. Investigators say that the operation is now shifting from a rescue to a recovery mission.

[00:00:17]Thanks for joining us at 6:30. I'm Joyce Taylor.

[00:00:19]>> I'm Maline Carter. Tonight, we're learning more about a man killed in that implosion. King Five Sebastian Robertson joins us live from Long View with what his children are saying tonight.

[00:00:28]Sebastian.

[00:00:31]>> Well, he was identified by friends and family last night as Gilbert Bernal.

[00:00:35]We're told he was a longtime worker at this plant behind me. His family says he was one of the first treated when that implosion happened and they held out hope for hours that he'd survive.

[00:00:48]>> I told my mom to give him a call, see if he's okay. Brother and sister Javana and Eli Bernal are mourning the loss of their father, Gilbert, a technician at this paper mill in Long View. Eli rushed to the scene as word spread of a massive implosion.

[00:01:03]>> Just that big steam cloud. It was everywhere. It was so vast, just like a cloud on the floor.

[00:01:11]>> We were just under the impression that he was just in the hospital just in critical condition. So, we were still hopeful. Um, unfortunately that wasn't the case.

[00:01:23]>> The plant plays a major role in Long View's economy, and tonight the community is rallying around the grieving families.

[00:01:29]>> Right now, we're just trying to get through it, just like everybody else.

[00:01:32]>> Todd Cornwell says he and his wife attended weekly Bible studies with Bernal and have since helped organize a verified GoFundMe fundraiser for the family he leaves behind.

[00:01:42]>> Gilbert was one of the most genuinely nice people you've ever met in your life. He was the kind of person that would literally give you the shirt off of his back if that's what was needed.

[00:01:52]>> Tonight, the Bernal family is mourning a father they say spent his life to provide for his children.

[00:01:58]>> Truly, you couldn't ask for a better dad. Honestly, he raised the bar so high.

[00:02:02]>> As attention turns to the people still missing, the Bernal family says they know more heartbreak may soon reach other families.

[00:02:10]>> This could have happened to anybody.

[00:02:11]>> Oh, yeah. We're not the only ones.

[00:02:13]There's a lot of people out there that are affected by this.

[00:02:15]>> Yeah.

[00:02:18]Two people are confirmed dead. Nine others are still technically considered missing. Though complicated matters is the first responders miss decontaminate any remains before they can be identified by the coroner's office. Back to you.

[00:02:33]>> Thank you, Sebastian. We're also learning about another man who died in that implosion. According to a verified fundraising site, Jared Ammons is the second worker who was killed. That fundraiser says that he leaves behind a wife and two kids, including one on the way. The family wrote, quote, "His loss has left an unimaginable hole in the hearts of everyone who knew him."

[00:02:54]Multiple experts tell King Five that this incident appears to be a major operational or maintenance failure.

[00:03:00]Tonight, King Five investigator Andy Judson explains what could have gone wrong.

[00:03:06]Yeah, I spoke with multiple experts today who said explosions at paper mills have happened before, but an implosion like this is incredibly rare. Now, let's take a look at the tank at the center of this. Now, you can see it's collapsed in on itself, and experts tell me that suggests a dangerous vacuum formed inside of the tank. Now, it's unclear what caused that to happen, but experts say when a vacuum forms inside of the tank, air and chemicals will rush in and then out through a valve or a door or another opening. Now, this tank was holding nearly 900,000 gallons of liquid. Think of all that force sucking all the contents in and then erupting out. That chemical mixture is known as white liquor. It's used to break down wood fibers to make paper. And it's so toxic, these tanks require a special protective glass lining to prevent it from eating through the metal. And if it comes into contact with human skin, experts say it can cause chemical burns, dissolve flesh, or kill someone. Now, we'll be asking a lot more questions than following the investigation unfolding on the ground in Long View. In the studio, Andy Judson, King Five News.

[00:04:23]I once was lost.

[00:04:29]>> More than 100 people gathered for a candlelight vigil last night after that deadly implosion. Neighbors hugged, cried, and shared stories of those still missing. Many there say the mill is the heart of this community and now the entire town is grieving together.

[00:04:44]I'm feeling sad for the community and um it's really a most tragic thing that's ever happened in Long View in my lifetime and I've been here 71 years.