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

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.

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, city officials said the state fire marshal’s office was leading the investigation into the cause, and it wasn’t known when a determination may be made.

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