PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — At least two people are confirmed to have died and several others remain missing following a catastrophic chemical implosion at the Nippon paper mill in Longview, Wash., on Tuesday.
GoFundMe pages and meal trains have already started to populate online for the families of those killed in the blast.
Family members of Gilbert Bernal tell KATU News he was the first to be identified. According to his friends and family, he was one of the most giving and kind people you could know.
“Gilbert was one of the most God-fearing, finest men I’ve ever known. He would literally give you the shirt off your back, off his back if that’s what was needed. He would go out of his way to help people. He was always smiling, always had a positive attitude,” his friend Todd Cornwell told KATU on Wednesday.
Cornwell mentioned he had plans to see Bernal on Tuesday night for their church group before he got the news of the implosion.
CONTINUING COVERAGE | Second death confirmed after chemical implosion at Longview Nippon facility
Cornwell set up a GoFundMe for Bernal and his family to help Bernal’s wife and their children with costs during this time.
At a vigil Tuesday night, KATU News spoke with Mandy Davison, whose husband works at another nearby paper mill. She said she feels for the families, knowing there is always a fear that their loved ones may not return home because of how dangerous the job can be.
“If you have a spouse or a child who works at one of these mills, as generally safe as these mills are, you still kiss them goodbye every single morning or every single night before their shift, and you just pray, ‘God, please keep them safe today,’” Davison said.
KATU News has learned the firefighter who was taken to a hospital with injuries suffered during the response has been released.
“We have people reaching out and loving and wrapping these families from the whole county because these workers didn’t just live in Longview. Yes, the accident happened here, but these men are families that have lived in all the communities around us,” Crystal Moldenhauer, a community member in Longview, told KATU.
Officials said the incident at Nippon is no longer considered a rescue mission, but rather a recovery.
Families claim their loved ones died in the implosion
The family of Jared Ammons told KATU News they believe he was one of the victims at Nippon.
“We are heartbroken to share the sudden and tragic loss of Jared Ammons, who passed away in the Nippon accident. Jared has left behind a wife, two kids and one on be way,” Ammons’ family wrote on their GoFundMe page.
Another family for victim, Dillon Miller, also sharing their Meal Train page.
“We are organizing a meal train to support Ana Soto and her three children during the heartbreaking loss of Dillon Miller following the Nippon tragedy. As Ana and her family navigate unimaginable grief, we hope to ease even a small part of the burden by helping with meals during this difficult time,” the organizer wrote.
None of the victims has been officially identified. Authorities said the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office will release the names and provide additional information once all victims and families have been notified.
How to help
Multiple organizations, including the Columbia Heights Assembly church, have announced a donation drive for emergency responders.
According to the church, donations will be distributed to all six of the local agencies that responded. Donations can be made both Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 3609 Columbia Heights Rd in Longview, Wash.
The church says they are seeking snacks, water, coffee, and even handwritten “thank you” notes.
Also, the Cowlitz/Wahkiakum Central Labor Council and Longview/Kelso Building Trades have set up an account at Lower Columbia Longshoreman’s Federal Credit Union for donations to victims’ families.
