In Youngstown, Ohio, a tragic explosion occurred at a building housing both a bank and apartments. The incident was caused by a crew inadvertently cutting a pressurized gas line in the basement of the building. This led to an explosion that resulted in the death of one individual, identified as 27-year-old Akil Drake, and injuries to several others. Among those injured were bank employees and residents of the apartment building. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the incident.
The crew was working in the basement at the time to clear out piping and other outdated infrastructure as part of a city project that involved replacing sidewalks and filling in the vault area. It is believed that they accidentally cut an abandoned service line which was pressurized. The workers smelled no gas before starting the cutting process, only realizing there was an issue when they made their third cut.
Following this, the fire alarm was pulled and residents and bank employees were alerted to evacuate. However, within six minutes of the third cut, a massive explosion took place that severely damaged the ground floor of Realty Tower. The blast also caused part of the building's ground floor to collapse into its basement and sent debris across the street.
The explosion at this 13-story building with a Chase Bank branch on the street level and apartments in upper floors, led to bricks, glass, and other debris littering the sidewalk outside. The NTSB has obtained security video from inside the bank as well as other video evidence to assist in their investigation.
The city had contracted with a construction company called GreenHeart to perform private utility relocation in the basement of Realty Tower. However, there is no evidence that cutting the gas line mentioned by NTSB was necessary for this work. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Akil Drake, who was seen inside the building just before the blast, was one of those killed in the explosion. Firefighters rescued others as they cleared out the building after the explosion. Seven injured people were taken to a hospital in Youngstown, with one woman remaining in critical condition and three others being released or placed in stable condition.
The NTSB will continue their investigation into this tragic incident, attempting to determine why the gas line was pressurized and if there were any issues with the workers' evacuation procedures. The building is currently being assessed for safety before investigators can enter it to continue their investigation.
