A tragic incident at a Washington state paper mill has led to a second confirmed fatality, authorities reported on Wednesday. This brings the presumed death toll to 11, including nine individuals who remain unaccounted for. The disaster unfolded when a large chemical tank ruptured at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview, leaving eight others injured, among them a firefighter.

Efforts to locate the missing individuals were set to resume on Wednesday. However, the search had faced delays due to the potential risk of further collapse of the compromised tank. The tank contained a highly corrosive substance known as white liquor, pivotal in the paper manufacturing process. Due to the precarious conditions, search operations were confined to daylight hours.

Despite the rupture, officials assured that the safety of Longview’s air and drinking water remained unaffected. They urged the city’s 40,000 residents, who reside in a community deeply rooted in the paper and lumber industries, to steer clear of nearby ditches and dikes as a precautionary measure.

This incident follows closely on the heels of another chemical-related emergency on the West Coast. Recently, thousands of Southern California residents were evacuated due to an overheated tank at an aerospace facility, though evacuation orders were lifted by Tuesday night.

It was the second notable issue with a chemical in days on the West Coast, following the evacuation of thousands of Southern California residents due to an overheated tank an aerospace plant before those orders were lifted Tuesday night.

The paper mill tank was holding about 900,000 gallons (3.4 million liters) of a liquid made of mostly sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide. Known as white liquor, it is used with heat to break down wood to make kraft paper, a durable material used in packaging, shopping bags and other products.

The sprawling plant, which employs about 1,000 people, makes material for tissues, printing paper, cups, plates, and cartons. It sits along the river next to other timber, paper and chemical businesses.

Paper mill worker was always there to help, friend says

Authorities haven’t released the names of the two people whose deaths were confirmed or of those missing, but some names have begun to trickle out.

Todd Cornwell said his friend, Gilbert Bernal, was an electrician at the plant and was the first confirmed death. They knew each other through church and were in the same Bible study group, he said.

“We actually had our group last night and instead of doing Bible study, we talked about him,” Cornwell said. “He was always there willing to help in whatever needed to be done. When the local church school started flooding, he was one of the people there.”

Brian Williquette, a chemical supplier for the region’s mills, was at the plant Tuesday morning when he heard an alarm over the intercom and first wondered if it was drill. He was able to get out safely and didn’t see any of the damage.

“It’s just unfathomable,” he said at a community vigil Tuesday. “There’s not anybody that lives here that doesn’t know somebody at a paper mill.”

Crystal Moldenhauer, a Longview resident, said she has friends at the plant who remained unaccounted for. She said people called and texted each other all day trying to figure out what happened.

“We’re all still waiting for answers,” she said. “There’s families that have been torn apart, and we don’t know why.”

The cause of the rupture remained unclear.

Authorities press for answers about the rupture

Nippon Paper Group in a statement said Wednesday that it was offering its “deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families.”

Scott Goldstein, a fire chief with Cowlitz County, said Tuesday night that the tank still held about 90,000 gallons (more than 340,000 liters) of the volatile liquid.

“We don’t know until we know, hopefully tomorrow, how we can stabilize the tank. Do we remove the product first? Do we stabilize the tank first or the vice versa?” Goldstein said.

Hours after the disaster, officials repeatedly referred to the situation as a recovery effort.

Some of those who were injured suffered burns or inhalation injuries, authorities said.

Following the tank’s rupture, the liquid spilled into a drainage ditch, said Brittny Goodsell, a state Ecology Department spokesperson.

“I know there’s a lot of questions about how all of this happened and I want to assure you that we will all continue to pressure to get answers to those questions,” Murray said.

The mill faced complaints and fines

Safety complaints were filed against Nippon Dynawave in March and May. The state’s labor and industries department said on X that both were unrelated to the current situation. One was an anonymous complaint about a valve on a tank, according to the department, which noted that it was not the tank that imploded.

Nippon Dynawave, a subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Paper Group, has been fined $3,400 for three separate health and safety violations found by Washington Department of Labor and Industries inspectors since the start of 2021, according to the department’s online database.

Just over 40 people died between January 2021 and mid-October 2023 as a result of hazardous chemical incidents in the U.S., according to a paper released by a network of environmental justice organizations in late 2023.

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The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has unveiled a startling video that captures the discovery of 20 undocumented individuals hidden inside a semi-truck. This incident, which the agency has classified as an attempt at human smuggling, underscores ongoing concerns at the nation’s borders.

The footage, stemming from a traffic stop on May 18, features a white Volvo semi-truck in a rural location. Law enforcement officers can be seen pulling the vehicle over, after which the driver, identified as Miguel Angel Velazquez Chavez, a 25-year-old from Mexico, makes a run for it. His attempted escape, which included crossing train tracks, was swiftly thwarted by officers.

DPS has charged Velazquez Chavez with both evading arrest and smuggling of persons, a testament to the serious nature of the offenses involved. The dramatic video continues to reveal the officers’ inspection of the semi-truck, where they uncover numerous individuals crammed into the cramped sleeper cab.

The discovery, which took place on May 18, 2026, highlights the ongoing challenges and dangers associated with human smuggling. The video released by the Texas Department of Public Safety serves as both a reminder and a warning about the perils of such illegal activities.

The video then shows officers inspecting the semi-truck. When they pulled back the curtain to the sleeper cab, they found several illegal aliens packed into the tiny space.

VIDEO SHOWS 23 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FOUND HIDDEN IN TRUCK CAB DURING TENSE TRAFFIC STOP: POLICE

In all, 20 illegal aliens were arrested, including four minors, according to DPS. They were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol.

President Donald Trump and his administration have made it a point to crack down on illegal border crossings, rolling back Biden-era policies like catch-and-release, where border crossers were not detained after crossing illegally into the country.

State troopers and the Texas Department of public safety pulled over a tractor trailer smuggling 20 illegal aliens into the U.S. on May 18, 2026. (Texas Department of Public Safety)

In April, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that there had been zero releases of illegal aliens at the border for 11 straight months.

BORDER ARRESTS HIT LOWEST MARK SINCE LAST TIME TRUMP WAS IN OFFICE, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

“Eleven straight months of ZERO releases at the border. Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, we are delivering the most secure border in American history,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said at the time. “The world knows America’s borders are closed to lawbreakers.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials also praised Trump for his work.

The Department of Homeland Security is currently undergoing a lapse in funding due to a partial government shutdown. (Getty Images)

“America First policies, real consequences, and a unified federal effort—backed by personnel, infrastructure, and technology—are how we’ve delivered the most secure border in U.S. history,” CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said. “Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, we’re building on what works, refining our approach, and locking in real border security. This isn’t temporary—it’s the new normal.”

The agency said illegal aliens have been significantly deterred from crossing the border illegally, and CBP has apprehended fewer than 9,000 people per month since Trump took office for the second time.

Protesters opposing ICE allegedly targeted federal immigration officers with a chemical spray during a protest that erupted on Tuesday outside a Newark immigration detention facility, marking the fifth consecutive day of demonstrations.

The overnight confrontation escalated dramatically at Delaney Hall when individuals among the protestors reportedly unleashed an unknown chemical substance on federal officers as they attempted to manage the disorder, according to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

Captured on video, the intense scenes depicted groups of masked individuals, some wearing keffiyehs, clashing with numerous ICE agents. The protestors were seen blocking vehicles and creating chaos in the vicinity of the detention center.

Secretary Mullin reported that two individuals from the protest were detained on charges of assaulting, resisting, and obstructing federal officers.

“Attacking and hindering ICE law enforcement is both a crime and a felony,” he declared on X. “Anyone who assaults law enforcement will face prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.”

President Trump called the demonstrators “all paid-for protesters” during a cabinet meeting in the White House.

“These aren’t protesters. These people are fake,” he said when asked about the ongoing protests outside the facility.

Crowds had thinned by Wednesday morning, as roughly 30 armed ICE agents manned the front gate.

Delaney Hall has been a hotbed of unrest since Friday, when detainees reportedly launched a hunger and labor strike to protest conditions inside the 1,000-bed facility.

Anti-ICE protests have spiraled into growing violence in recent days, with tensions boiling over after Gov. Mikie Sherrill joined demonstrators at the facility on Monday in what DHS dismissed as a “political stunt.”

The migrants inside claim they have been served tainted food, packed into rooms without air conditioning, and had their immigration cases ignored by federal judges, the New Jersey Monitor reported. 

However, DHS insists conditions inside its centers are actually maintained “higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold U.S. citizens” and denied claims of a hunger strike.

Mullin on Wednesday said that only “a handful” of detainees have been skipping meals because they’re requesting “ethnic” food. 

“Well, they can go back to their country, get whatever food they want,” he said during the Wednesday cabinet meeting. “The fact is, we’re giving them the calories they want. This isn’t Holiday Inn.”

Mullin also blasted Sherill and other left Garden State pols for joining the rowdy protests on Memorial Day.

“It shows the radical left Democrats’ priorities when they decide to go out and protest a detention center where we’re housing rapists, child predators, murderers, drug dealers — and they choose Memorial Day?”

Kyle Busch’s struggle with sepsis lasted just a single day before it led to a swift cascade of blood clots, ultimately resulting in fatal hemorrhaging and severe blood loss, as revealed by his death certificate obtained by Us Weekly.

The 41-year-old racing enthusiast passed away on May 21. He was urgently taken to the hospital after losing consciousness following a test drive session in a race simulator near Charlotte, North Carolina. Subsequent findings disclosed that he had been contending with pneumonia, which escalated into sepsis.

Now, insights from a North Carolina medical examiner shed light on the tragic series of events leading to Busch’s untimely death.

Sepsis, a severe response to infection, triggered the formation of blood clots that obstructed his organs, reports Us Weekly. This complication pushed Busch into a state of hemorrhagic shock.

The death certificate further notes that Busch has been cremated in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s Office spokespeople did not immediately respond to The Daily Mail’s request for the death certificate. 

Kyle Busch battled sepsis for only a day before blood clots led to hemorrhaging, blood loss and, ultimately, death, according to the death certificate

NASCAR Hall of Famer and RCR team owner, Richard Childress, Samantha Busch (wife) Brexton Busch (son) and NASCAR Chief Executive Officer Steve O’Donnell stand on the grid during the remembrance ceremony for Kyle Busch, who passed away suddenly at the age of 41

The medical examiner’s findings support the claims made during a May 20 911 call, when Busch was reportedly throwing up blood.  

Initially, as the caller told the 911 operator, Busch had ‘shortness of breath’ and felt ‘very hot.’

‘[He] thinks he’s going to pass out, and he’s producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood,’ the caller added.

The caller then confirmed Busch was still conscious, repeatedly telling dispatch: ‘He is awake. He’s awake. He’s awake.’

According to the 911 audio, the NASCAR great was lying on a bathroom floor at the facility while employees prepared for the paramedics’ arrival. 

Busch was then rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead the following day. 

Previously, Busch dealt with a sinus issue during a NASCAR Cup Series race in Watkins Glen, New York on May 10. Nearing the end of that competition, Busch radioed his pit crew to ask for the help of Bill Heisel, a certified physician’s assistant who has worked with the stock car circuit for years.

‘Can somebody try to find Bill Heisel?’ Busch asked the Richard Childress Racing crew. ‘He’s the [inaudible] doctor guy. Tell him I need him after the race, please… I’m gonna need a shot.’

Busch’s parents, Tom and Gaye, and his brother, NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch, also attended the race as NASCAR honored the late driver with a moment of silence

Samantha broke down into tears as she embraced her 11-year-old son during Sunday’s tribute 

Busch would go on to finish eighth and later told The Athletic on May 16 that he was still battling a cold prior to the May 23 All-Star race in Dover, Delaware.

It remains unclear what, if any, shot Busch received from Heisel. NASCAR spokespeople did not respond to The Daily Mail’s request for more information.  

Heisel has not been accused of any wrongdoing. And although Busch referred to Heisel as a ‘doctor’ rather than a physician’s assistant, Heisel is not accused of misrepresenting himself or his work. 

According to the TV broadcast, Busch had been struggling with a sinus cold that was exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the Upstate New York road course.

Brushing off the incident, Busch went on to claim his a fifth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series trophy days later on May 15. 

Following his death, a heartbreaking clip of Busch’s post-race interview resurfaced.

After earning his 69th career Trucks Series race win with the triumph at Dover, he was asked how many races he wanted to win in his career before he stops racing.

‘You take whatever you can get, man,’ Busch said. ‘You never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all – trust me.’

Kyle Busch and wife Samantha Busch pose for photos on the red carpet prior to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Charlotte Convention Center on January 23

Kurt Busch laid white roses on a No 8, which had been stenciled onto the infield grass

Along with his wife, Samantha, Busch was a major proponent of invitro fertilization, which helped the couple to conceive children Brexton and Lennix.

In fact, Samantha revealed in a November episode of her podcast that she saved embryos in case she ever wanted to have another child in the event of his death.

‘Here’s something I’ve never told anybody,’ Samantha told guest Ashley George . ‘I’m a certified over-sharer. So a lot of people ask me what we have done with our embryos because we still have some. I can’t part with them…I don’t know what else to do at this point because I love them so much and can’t make a decision.

‘Kyle was like, “We’re done having kids,” and I said, “But what if?” I told him the most morbid story the other day. I was like, “What if you passed? I would have to have another kid to be connected to you and name that child after you.”‘