1 dead and 7 injured after explosion in downtown Youngstown, Ohio

One person died and seven people were injured, including one seriously, when an explosion rocked downtown Youngstown, Ohio, on Tuesday, officials said.

The explosion occurred near Central Square on Tuesday afternoon, police said, urging residents to avoid the area.

The cause of the explosion, which shook a building containing a Chase bank and apartments, is still unclear, authorities said.

Youngstown Fire Chief Barry Finley initially described the incident as a natural gas explosion, but later said emergency crews were working to determine if there was a gas leak.

“All I know for sure is there was an explosion,” Finley told reporters during a press conference Tuesday evening.

Mercy Health said Tuesday evening that seven people were being treated for injuries sustained in the incident, including one person in critical condition.

The body of a bank employee was recovered from the scene early Wednesday morning, the fire chief said. Police were searching for his vehicle after the explosion, he said.

The floor collapsed into the basement, which flooded, and search crews were working to send a mini-drone there to assist in the search effort, Finley said.

Chase Bank is located on the ground floor of the building, with residential units on the 12 floors above.

The building was evacuated and surrounding streets were closed to traffic indefinitely due to the risk of collapse, authorities said.

A Chase spokesperson told ABC News the company is “in close contact with local authorities to verify the safety of everyone in the building and surrounding area.”

“After that, we will find out what happened and assess the damage,” the spokesman said.

According to the authorities, there is currently no evidence of suspicious activity.