Several people have been injured, including one critically, and two others are missing following an explosion at a 12-story bank building in downtown Youngstown, Ohio, on Tuesday afternoon, according to law enforcement and fire department officials.
Mr. Finley confirmed the building houses a JP Morgan Chase bank on the lower floor and there are apartments on the floors above.
He told reporters that it appeared as though only the first and second floors of the building had been involved in the explosion.
It was unclear how many people were in the building at the time, however, seven were rushed to the hospital following the incident, according to the fire chief.
One of those individuals is in critical condition and on a ventilator, Mr. Finley said. The others are “all in good condition” the fire chief noted.
Police are still searching for two other people who are missing, Mr. Finley added.
“To my knowledge, there’s two people; a man and a woman. We haven’t found either one of them,” Mr. Finley said. “One was a Chase employee, the other one I don’t know,” he continued.
Police Urge Public to Avoid Area
However, he noted the floor in the lower part of the building had completely “collapsed on itself,” and there was “nothing to see,” adding that the bottom part of the building was also “full of water.”Due to the structural issues with the building in the wake of the explosion, the fire chief said he would not be sending any fire department personnel into the building as of now.
“Honestly, we don’t know if that person is down there or not,” he said of the missing Chase employee.
It is not clear if there was more than one explosion at the building.
While the situation at the scene was being “actively managed” as of late Tuesday, the Youngstown Police Department cautioned members of the public to keep away from the area.
“Follow official instructions: Listen to local news official websites, and social media for updates and follow instructions from authorities,” they added.
Situation ‘Fluid’ but Under Control
Police also urged the public to keep communication lines open for emergency use.“Your cooperation is vital to ensure the safety of everyone involved,” the department said. “Thank you for your understanding and immediate attention to this matter.”
“The situation is fluid but under control,” the agency said. “Please avoid the area until further notice.”
When asked by reporters on Tuesday if there is any evidence of suspicious activity related to the explosion, Mr. Finley, who was joined by Youngstown mayor Tito Brown, declined to comment.
Mayor Brown also told reporters that he would not speculate on the matter before thanking the local community, who he said had come together from all over the city to help following the explosion.
“Everyone who came to help from all over ... I want to say thank you from the citizens of Youngstown, Ohio,” he said. “I got so many calls from the governor, the senators, to see if they can help.”
Both Mayor Brown and Mr. Finley also stressed the immediate area surrounding the explosion would be shut down for “as long as it takes.”
A spokesperson for JP Morgan Chase told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement: “Our hearts go out to our employees, customers, their families and others affected by this tragedy.”
“We will continue to work with local officials to support them,” the spokesperson said.
Can we also add in that the Chase branch is located inside the Realty Building at Federal Plaza, Central Youngstown.
