YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — New surveillance video has emerged from inside a downtown Youngstown building that shows people escaping just prior to the deadly explosion that happened on Tuesday.
The video, shared with 3News courtesy of Ahisa Simmons, starts with a fire alarm in the Realty Tower. As the announcement is heard in the building, a mother and her baby are seen walking out an exit. Another person also departs through an exit.
Then, a jarring explosion near the floor's elevator is seen. A Youngstown firefighter is then seen checking out the aftermath of the blast.
One person was killed and seven people hospitalized as a result of the explosion that took place at around 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday. The blast shook the downtown Youngstown area as bricks, glass and other debris littered the sidewalk.
The body of 27-year-old Chase Bank employee Akil Drake was recovered in the early morning hours of Wednesday.
The explosion is currently being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). While no exact cause for the explosion has been determined, investigators are focusing on an abandoned gas line in the basement of the building that had been cut, yet was found to still be pressurized with gas.
Previous Reporting:
- National Transportation Safety Board says cut gas line will be 'central focus' of Youngstown building explosion investigation
- 'This tragedy hit our community pretty hard': Youngstown officials provide update following deadly explosion at Chase Bank building
- Boyfriend of Chase Bank employee critically injured in Youngstown explosion says she faces a long recovery
- Updates: 1 found dead after explosion at Chase Bank building in Youngstown