An explosion in downtown Youngstown, Ohio, on Tuesday has resulted in one fatality, with seven individuals sustaining injuries. Among the injured, one person is in critical condition, while another individual remains missing, according to officials.
Police have stated that an explosion took place near Central Square on Tuesday afternoon, and they are advising people to steer clear of the area.
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The authorities are uncertain about the cause of the explosion, which affected a building housing both a Chase bank and apartments.
Youngstown Fire Chief Barry Finley initially described the incident as a natural gas explosion but later indicated that the teams were investigating the possibility of a gas leak.
During a press briefing on Tuesday evening, Finley informed reporters that the only certainty was an explosion.
Mercy Health has confirmed that it is currently providing medical care to seven individuals who were injured in the incident. Among them, one person is in critical condition.
According to Finley, a woman is still missing after a thorough search of the building. The fire chief confirmed that the body of a male bank employee was recovered from the site on Wednesday morning. In the aftermath of the explosion, authorities are now searching for the man’s vehicle.
According to Finley, the basement, which was flooded, saw the floor collapse, prompting search crews to take action. They were in the process of deploying a mini-drone to assist in the search operation.
The Chase bank occupies the ground floor of the building, while there are 12 floors above it that are dedicated to apartment units.
Authorities have closed the surrounding streets indefinitely and evacuated the building due to the risk of a structural collapse.
According to a spokesperson from Chase, the company is actively communicating with local officials to ensure the safety of everyone in the building and surrounding area.
The spokesperson mentioned that their team would investigate the incident and evaluate the extent of the damage.
Officials have stated that there is currently no evidence of any suspicious activity.
