Seven individuals were injured, and two remain missing following a gas explosion in Youngstown, Ohio.
Security camera footage shared on social media captured the explosion, which nearly obliterated the first floor of the Chase Bank building.
The Youngstown Police Department issued a statement, urging residents to steer clear of the vicinity around the crash to facilitate easier access for emergency personnel.
“An explosion has occurred in the downtown area near Central Square,” the statement read. “Emergency services are on the scene, and the situation is being actively managed.”
WKBN reported that multiple apartments situated above the bank were evacuated by firefighters in the aftermath of the explosion. Among the seven injured, one person is in critical condition.
Youngstown Fire Department Chief Barry Finley reported that two people are currently unaccounted for, a man and a woman. According to the man’s wife and coworker, he was working at the bank when the explosion occurred.
“The floor is collapsed in on itself. There’s nothing to see. It’s full of water, so honestly, we don’t know if that person is down there or not. When we get clearance to go into the building … until then, I will not put any of my firefighters down there to do a search for any reason right now,” Finley said.
Stephanie Moore, a representative for Enbridge Gas, told WTAE that the cause of the explosion is still unknown but will be investigated by the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s office.
“Public safety is our top priority, and we are on-site and working closely with local emergency responders to contain the area and have shut off gas to the entire block as a safety precaution,” she said.
