The National Transportation Safety Board said a cut to an inactive but still pressurized gas line will be a central focus of their investigation into what caused a devastating explosion that rocked downtown Youngstown, Ohio.
The blast occurred near Central Square on Tuesday afternoon and impacted a building that contains a Chase bank and apartments.
One person was killed and seven others injured in the explosion, officials said.
The NTSB sent a team of pipeline and hazardous materials investigators to Youngstown on Wednesday to investigate the natural gas explosion.
The preliminary investigation suggests that work crews were in the basement of the building to reportedly clear out old utility infrastructure prior to the explosion, according to NTSB board member Tom Chapman.
“A possible third-party cut to the pressurized service line is a central focus of our investigation to determine the cause of the gas release and subsequent explosion,” Chapman told reporters during a press briefing Thursday.