Youngstown, Ohio – The National Transportation Safety Board held a press conference on Friday evening, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding the gas explosion at the Realty Building in downtown Youngstown. Investigators revealed that there was a mere six minutes between when the gas line was cut and the subsequent explosion earlier in the week.
During the press conference, NTSB board member Tom Chapman shared that workers were in the basement of the building on Tuesday before the explosion occurred. The crew, consisting of a supervisor and five members, was tasked with clearing out piping, outdated infrastructure, and debris in preparation for a city project to replace the sidewalks.
According to Chapman, workers did not detect any gas odor throughout the day as they worked, indicating that there was no evidence of a slow, ongoing leak. The crew was unaware that the line they were working on was pressurized or contained gas. It was only after making two cuts that they realized there was a problem and gas was released.
Upon realizing the danger, the workers promptly evacuated the basement, pulled the fire alarm, informed the bank on the first floor, and contacted 911. They also assisted in evacuating residents before the explosion occurred, six minutes after the gas line was cut.
The structural integrity of the Realty Building is now a major concern, with no one, including investigators, able to access the building. Documentation obtained through a public records request revealed that the Youngstown Board of Control had hired Greenheart Companies to carry out the removal of old utility lines in the basement.
Taylor Botsford, along with other Greenheart crew members, were inside the building when the explosion took place. Botsford recounted the harrowing experience of encountering the gas leak, quickly leaving the basement to sound the fire alarms, call 911, and notify their manager.
In response to the incident, Youngstown Mayor Jamael Tito Brown issued a statement, emphasizing the City’s commitment to public safety and vowing to provide updates as the investigation progresses. The NTSB expressed concerns about third-party work near gas lines, promising to delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding the fatal explosion that claimed one life and injured several others.