Building Explosion Kills Bank Employee and Injures 7 Others in Youngstown, Ohio

First responders at the scene of an explosion in Youngstown, Ohio, on May 28, 2024, in a still from video. Jason van Hoose via CNN Newsource/Screenshot via NTD

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio—A massive explosion blew out much of the ground floor of an apartment building, killing a bank employee and injuring several other people. Police and emergency officials initially blamed natural gas, but the fire chief later said the cause is under investigation.

The blast happened around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, collapsing part of the ground floor of Realty Tower into its basement and sending the façade across a street where both sides had been blocked off by orange construction fencing. The 13-story building has a Chase Bank branch at street level and apartments in upper floors.