Cowlitz County coroner reports Nippon Dynawave victims died from alkaline chemical burns

The Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office has completed autopsies on 10 of the 11 people who died in the May 26 industrial accident at the Nippon Dynawave facility in Longview , one of the deadliest workplace disasters in the nation in recent decades. The disaster began when a tank containing more than 500,000 gallons of a highly destructive chemical mixture used in paper manufacturing collapsed at the facility. RELATED | Washington L&I opens investigation into deadly Longview chemical tank collapse The catastrophic failure killed 11 workers, injuring several others who have since recovered, and has drawn attention from regulators and industry officials as investigators continue working to determine what caused the incident. In a statement, the coroner’s office said its investigation has concluded and that all next of kin have been notified. Officials asked the public to respect the families’ privacy as they grieve. Investigations by other agencies remain ongoing. According to autopsy findings released by the coroner’s office, 10 of the victims died from alkaline chemical burns, and were all ruled accidental deaths. Victim, Dillon Miller, was outside the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office jurisdiction, and information about him was not provided. Those victims the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office identified are: Gilberto Bernal, 52, of Kelso, Washington Tyler Covington, 29, of Castle Rock, Washington Dale Miller, 54, of Portland, Oregon Jared Ammons, 35, of Longview, Washington Bradley Covington, 27, of Castle Rock Clinton Doran, 26, of Kelso, Washington John Forsberg, 51, of Longview, Washington Norman Barlow, 58, of Vancouver, Washington Robert Wilson, 48, of Clatskanie, Oregon, Braydon Finkas, 38, of Cathlamet, Washington The collapse remains under investigation as authorities seek to determine what led to the failure of the tank and the resulting loss of life.