An explosion that rocked downtown Youngstown, Ohio, on Tuesday left two people missing and seven injured, including one critically.
Tuesday afternoon, authorities claimed that there was an explosion close to Central Square and advised the public to stay away.
The reason of the explosion, which damaged a building housing apartments and a Chase bank, remains unknown, according to investigators.
After first characterizing the incident as a natural gas explosion, Youngstown Fire Chief Barry Finley later stated that crews were attempting to ascertain whether there was a gas leak.
“All I know for sure is that there was an explosion, “Finley said to reporters on Tuesday night at a news briefing. Mercy Health reported on Tuesday night that it was treating seven victims of the event, one of whom was very ill.
A guy and a woman are still missing after the building was searched, according to Finley. The fire chief stated that the man works at the bank. After the explosion, he added, police began looking for his car.
“Until then, we have to assume he is in the building,” Finley stated.
According to Finley, search teams were attempting to send a mini-drone into the flooded basement as a means of assisting with the search after the floor collapsed.
The building contains twelve stories of apartments above the main floor, which is home to the Chase bank.
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Authorities warned that because there is a chance of a structural collapse, the building has been evacuated and nearby roadways are permanently closed to traffic.
A corporate representative stated that the company has “close contact with local officials to check on the safety of everyone in the building and area.”
“After that, we’ll work to determine what happened and to assess the damage,” the spokesperson stated. According to officials, there’s no indication of any suspicious activity right now.
