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Ohio: Gas leak leaves one dead, one missing and seven injured

Authorities reported an explosion Tuesday afternoon at a 13-story building in Youngstown. The ground floor, where a Chase Bank is located, was the most affected by the blow.

Captura de pantalla de un vídeo obtenido por ABC News con el momento en el que se produce una explosión en Ohio el martes, 28 de mayo de 2024. La explosión dejó un muerto, un desaparecido y siete heridos.

(YouTube: ABC News)

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A gas leak Tuesday left one dead, one missing and seven injured in Youngstown, Ohio. Authorities reported an explosion at a 13-story building. The ground floor, where a Chase Bank is located, was the most affected by the blow and, in fact, the lone victim was an employee of the bank branch:

The 27-year-old man, whose body authorities located Wednesday, was one of two people missing after the explosion. Along with the man, authorities also reported the disappearance of a woman. However, according to Youngstown Fire Chief Barry Finley, the woman's vehicle was not at the scene and she was not identified at any hospital in the area, so they cannot be sure that she was in the building when the explosion occurred, per CBS News.

Specifically, the fire chief said, the explosion occurred around 3 p.m. in a building located on East Federal Street, and seven people were reported injured. One of them also ended up in critical condition and is currently connected to a ventilator while her family waits for news about her status. All of the injured were taken to Mercy Health Hospital, where they are being treated, hospital spokeswoman Jennifer Robinson said in a statement accessed by NBC News:

Our hearts go out to those impacted, and we stand ready to assist those in need as the health of our patients and the entire Youngstown community is and always has been our top priority.

Gas leak, a likely cause of the explosion in Ohio

Meanwhile, authorities continue to investigate what happened. Although many people reported smelling gas at the facility, the fire chief has not yet confirmed that a natural gas leak is the official cause of the explosion. This is what he said in statements reported by WTAE, one of the ABC News affiliates located in Pittsburgh:

We have no idea what caused the explosion. We know there was an explosion, and it did a lot of damage to the bottom of the building.

The Mahoning County emergency service did affirm that the gas leak had caused the incident. In a statement posted on X, the organization stated that the situation was "under control" while asking residents to stay away from the area:

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