NTSB gives update on cause of Youngstown explosion that killed Penn Hills graduate

The National Transportation Safety Board has released more information on what caused an explosion last month in Youngstown, Ohio, that killed a Penn Hills graduate.

Akil Drake, 27, a Chase Bank employee, was found in the rubble after an explosion on May 28 at the Realty Tower Building. Nine other people were injured.

NTSB officials previously said their preliminary investigation led them to believe that a cut gas line caused the explosion.

Just before the accident, a four-person scrap-removal crew was working in a basement area.

PHOTOS: Downtown Youngstown building seriously damaged in explosion

A worker cut into one of the pipes he had been told was “dead,” but partway through the process, he heard a loud whistling sound and felt gas blowing into his face from the cut pipe, according to the NTSB report.

The crew left the building, called 911 and pulled a fire alarm. Another crew member reportedly notified bank employees.

The Youngstown Fire Department received reports of a gas odor from the public minutes before the explosion.

After the accident, crews did a pressure test of the main and service lines. The pipeline failed to hold pressure and crews heard a hissing noise coming from the line that the scrap-removal crewmember had cut into before the accident.

The NTSB learned that at the time of the accident, the inactive service line had been pressurized with natural gas to about 38 pounds per square inch.

The NTSB’s investigation is ongoing.

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