YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (KDKA) — An explosion caused significant damage to a building in downtown Youngstown, Ohio, Tuesday afternoon.
The Realty Building on East Federal Street is damaged and the facade has been torn off, CBS affiliate WKBN reported. The Mahoning County Emergency Management Agency said there was a natural gas explosion and the situation was “fluid but under control.”
Firefighters could be seen pulling people out of the building, which houses a Chase bank downstairs and apartments upstairs, WKBN said. People have been loaded into ambulances, according to the television station, but there is no official word yet on the injured.
(Photo: WKBN)
Residents in the area reported hearing a loud noise and smoke, according to WKBN. Witnesses reported smelling gas.
Emergency services are asking the population to avoid the area until further notice.
Youngstown is about an hour from Pittsburgh, near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border. KDKA-TV has a crew on site.
Stay with KDKA-TV and KDKA.com for updates on this developing story as they become available.