It’s not known what caused an explosion Tuesday afternoon in the Chase Bank building in downtown Youngstown.
YOUNGSTOWN — The first floor of the Chase Bank building, 47 Federal Plaza Central, exploded today at about 2:30 p.m., followed by hissing sound, one man who saw the aftermath said. The man said he also smelled gas. The building is also called Realty Towers.
Jeff Magada, whose office is in another high rise on the same corner, said when he heard the explosion, he got up from his seat and looked out and saw a cloud of dust rising up.
He and another man with emergency services training went to the intersection where the explosion happened and were going to try to head into the building to help, but first responders arrived about then, Magada said.
He could see firefighters guiding one man out of the building who was looking for a way out and another person who appeared to have gone into the basement. He saw a huge piece of concrete lifted up on the East Federal side of the building.
The entire first floor, all the Federal Plaza side and East Federal side suffered extraordinary damage, the worst of it apparently near the northeast corner of the building, where concrete heaved up.
Firefighters focused much of their attention near that area in the minutes after they arrived, moving two people out of the destruction of the first floor on gurneys.
Another man sat at the base of a monument on Federal Plaza in front of the exploded building with blood and dust on his face and people stopping to offer him water.
The 13-floor Realty Towers building has a Chase Bank branch on the first floor and apartments and condominiums on the upper floors.
It is not known what caused the explosion.
This is a developing story. Check back on our website and Wednesday’s edition of The Vindicator for more details as they’re released.