One dead after gas explosion in downtown Youngstown, Ohio, in front of the Realty building on E. Federal Street

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – The Mahoning County Coroner has identified the victim recovered from a downtown Youngstown building that exploded Tuesday.

Rescue workers recovered the body of 27-year-old Akil Drake from the building at around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

According to police, he was an employee of the bank.

Fire Chief Barry Finley said another woman who was reported missing was found at an emergency room in Boardman registered under a different name.

What we know about the explosion

The explosion occurred just before 3 p.m. Tuesday in the Realty building on E. Federal Street. Emergency workers evacuated people from the upper floors, which contain apartments. The Chase Bank is located on the lower floor of the building.

A Chase Bank spokesman issued the following statement on Wednesday:

“The JPMorgan Chase family mourns the loss of our colleague. Our deepest condolences go out to her family, as well as to our injured employees, their families and everyone else affected by this tragedy. We will continue to work with local authorities to support them.”

Chase Bank

People in the area reported hearing a loud bang that shook buildings, followed by smoke and the smell of gas.

“I heard the bang, looked up and saw dark smoke coming out of the side of the Chase Bank building … but it was such a strong, strong bang, you know, that it made me say, ‘Oh my God,'” said Debora Flora, executive director of the Mahoning County Land Bank, who works downtown.

Seven people were taken to Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Hospital for treatment in connection with the explosion. One person is in critical condition, three people were treated and released, and three people are still hospitalized but stable, according to Mercy Health.

Emergency crews are currently working to verify the structural integrity of the building. According to an Enbridge Gas Ohio spokesperson, gas supply to the entire building block has been shut off for safety reasons. The spokesperson added that the cause of the explosion is currently unknown.

A representative of YO Properties 47, LLC, the owner of the building, issued the following statement to WKBN on Wednesday:

“Everyone at YO Properties 47, LLC, the owner of the Realty Building, is shocked and deeply saddened by the loss of life and injuries resulting from the explosion. Their deepest sympathies and condolences go out to the family of the young man who lost his life.

YO Properties 47, LLC is working with the appropriate government agencies to investigate how and why this explosion occurred. YO Properties 47, LLC will not make any further public statements until this investigation is completed.”

YO Properties 47, LLC

Traffic disruptions on Wednesday morning

Police have cordoned off an area around the scene and prevented people and vehicles from approaching. Motorists should avoid the area.

West Federal Street is closed between S. Hazel Street and S. Walnut Street. Wick Avenue is closed between W. Boardman Street and W. Commerce Street. N/ Champion Street is also closed between E. Federal Street and E. Commerce Street.

Finley said he is not allowing anyone into the nearby DoubleTree hotel at this time, but residents of the International Towers are allowed to return home.

The Stambaugh Building was also closed on Wednesday and the Oh Wow! Children’s Museum will remain closed until further notice.

The Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA) is open and buses are running again on Wednesday after service was suspended Tuesday due to the explosion. Passengers can find maps and schedules on the WRTA website at WRTAonline.com.

Reactions from witnesses, residents of the building

View photos of the explosion in downtown Youngstown, Ohio

First News spoke to several people who were downtown at the time of the explosion, as well as residents of evacuated apartments.

Construction workers were working in the basement at the time. They heard a hissing sound of natural gas and called 911. They ran out of the building minutes before it exploded.

Joe Guerrieri is a downtown business owner. He was eating at a restaurant when he heard the explosion and immediately rushed to help people.

“I got some water and ran downstairs. I saw a gentleman with a bunch of broken glass and cuts all over his body. I tried to wash him off. Then I checked this lady who had a pretty bad leg injury,” he said.

A man who lives on the third floor was in the building at the time of the explosion. He was trapped in a stairwell and it took firefighters over 15 minutes to dig him out.

“When I got to the lobby, there was like a dented metal door and the debris of the lobby … the broken bricks and marble had jammed up, so I was standing there with my cat in a carrier trying to push the door open,” said resident Justin Reynolds.

Tracey Winbush worked downtown. She lives in the tower with her 94-year-old mother, who had to be rescued.

“They had to carry her down 10 flights of stairs – her and my dog. We have to start all over again; we don’t know where,” she said.

However, she said the people of Youngstown are resilient.

“We made steel, now we are made of steel because we didn’t burn. We stayed and persevered, so we’re going to be OK,” she said.

Help for those affected

The Red Cross was at the Covelli Centre on Tuesday evening assisting the building’s homeless residents. A Red Cross representative said all residents of the building next door were able to return to their homes.

The Red Cross reports that 25 to 30 residents of the building were directly affected by the explosion. The organization is working with the building management to inform residents that the Red Cross can provide them with assistance if needed.

The downtown DoubleTree hotel is currently closed and evacuated due to the incident. A sign is posted on the front door that reads: “Due to an incident in the immediate area, access to the hotel is not permitted at this time. If you have reservations for tonight (Tuesday), accommodations are available at the Holiday Inn Boardman. The phone number is (330) 726-1611. Thank you and we apologize for the inconvenience.”

It is currently unclear when the hotel will be able to reopen.

Carlos Thompson works at the hotel’s Bistro 1907 and found it closed when he arrived for work on Wednesday morning.

Although the day didn’t start well, Thompson said he was grateful that he and his girlfriend were still there to see him.

“We had just left there, not even 45 minutes ago. I said, ‘Man, oh man, oh man, thank God.’ Because if we had gotten there a little later, she probably would have still been in there,” he said.

Janette Bowers is from Indiana and is teaching a course for local students staying at the DoubleTree.

“Well, I was teaching at the Choffin School of Nursing at the time and when I came back, everything was locked down. So I had no contact with the hotel staff, so I found my way to a hotel,” she said.

Your things are still at the DoubleTree.

Bowers said she has received help from the people at Choffin and is grateful for all the support.

“The administration and teachers at Choffin have been wonderful to me. They’ve brought me clothes and taken care of me, wonderful kindness. The hotel people who took me in last night were so kind to me and made the call for me. This community has really reached out to us and been kind to us who are kind of stuck,” she said.

Check back here for updates on this developing story.

Joe Gorman, Gerry Ricciutti, Jacob Thompson and Madison Meeker contributed to this report.