Washington chemical tank was called unfit for service before deadly failure, investigators find

According to a federal report released on Friday, an inspection contractor determined that a chemical tank at a Washington state paper mill was "not fit for continued service" 10 months prior to its catastrophic failure in May. The rupture of the tank resulted in 11 fatalities, marking the incident as one of the deadliest U.S. workplace disasters in recent decades.

The findings, uncovered by investigators, highlight prior warnings regarding the structural integrity of the equipment involved in the fatal industrial accident.