Historic Ohio building to be demolished after deadly explosion

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — A historic Ohio building is set to be demolished after a deadly explosion earlier this year.

The historic Realty Tower building in Youngstown will be torn down, with the demolition starting Tuesday at noon, CBS affiliate WOIO reported.

News Center 7 previously reported on the explosion that occurred in late May when a crew working in the basement cut a gas line they thought was turned off.

The explosion killed 27-year-old Akil Drake, a Chase Bank Employee, and injured 7 other people.

>> RELATED COVERAGE: Deadly Ohio explosion caused by crews cutting gas line they thought was turned off, NTSB says

According to a release from Youngstown Mayor Jamael Tito Brown, Realty Tower owners, engineers, and city officials decided to demolish the building because of “significant concerns,” about the engineer’s ability to stabilize the building.

“While we are disappointed that such a prominent and historic downtown building cannot be saved, we are thankful to be moving forward with a resolution to safely get residents home and downtown businesses open,” Brown said in a statement.

The process of the demolishment will be determined by Realty Tower owners.

The investigation into the explosion is being handled by the pipeline and hazardous materials division of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

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