Washington: A chemical tank explosion at a Nippon DynaWave Packaging plant in Washington state has resulted in the death of one person and injuries to nine others. The incident has also left nine individuals missing and unaccounted for.

According to Thai News Agency, U.S. officials have disclosed that the explosion occurred due to external pressure causing the collapse of a chemical tank at the facility. The tank, which contained vitiligo, a solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, is used in the pulp and paper production process. The explosion took place at around 7:15 a.m. local time on Tuesday, with approximately 340,000 liters of the chemical remaining inside the damaged tank, which originally had a capacity of about 3.4 million liters.

The injured include eight factory workers and one firefighter, some of whom have sustained serious injuries. Most injuries reported are minor chemical burns, and the firefighter involved has been cleared to return home. Authorities have reassured that the explosion does not present a direct threat to the surrounding community.

Nippon Paper Industries, which acquired the Longview plant from Seattle-based Wireh¤user for about 8 billion baht, is Japan's second-largest paper manufacturer. The company established Nippon Dynawave Packaging in 2016. Reports from Japanese media, referencing the Japanese Consulate-General in Seattle, indicate that no Japanese employees were harmed during the incident.

In a separate situation, officials in southern California are observing overheated chemical tanks containing methyl methacrylate at a GKN Aerospace plant in Garden Grove. Currently, there is no risk of explosion, as the tanks are believed to have released enough pressure to mitigate any immediate threat. Nonetheless, a precautionary warning remains as the situation is not fully resolved.