An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that a crew working in the basement area of a building in Youngstown, Ohio, intentionally cut a pressurized gas line, leading to a deadly explosion. The incident occurred as workers were clearing out piping and outdated infrastructure in preparation for a city project to fill in the area and replace sidewalks.
According to the NTSB, workers were unaware that the gas line was pressurized and only realized the issue after making the third cut. Following this discovery, they promptly pulled the fire alarm and evacuated residents and bank employees. The explosion occurred six minutes later, resulting in significant damage to the building.
The blast, which occurred on a Tuesday afternoon, caused the ground floor of Realty Tower to collapse into its basement and sent debris flying across the street. Tragically, a bank employee lost his life in the explosion, while several others sustained injuries. Seven individuals were taken to a local hospital, with one remaining in critical condition as of Thursday.
The city had contracted with a construction company to perform utility relocation work in the building's basement, but there is no evidence to suggest that cutting the gas line was necessary for this project. The construction company involved has not yet provided a statement regarding the incident.
Authorities are now focused on determining why the gas line was pressurized and how the explosion could have been prevented. The community is mourning the loss of the bank employee and offering support to those injured in the tragic event.
