IS GUESSED, THE LAW IS AS IT
STANDS, PROTECTS WOMEN WHEN
THEIR LIFE IS AT RISK, BUT AT
WHAT POINT DOES THAT EXEMPTION
KICK IN WHEN IT COMES TO THE
WOMAN’S LIFE AT RISK, GADI.
>> MARISSA PARRA, THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
>>> WE ARE LEARNING ABOUT THE
EXPLOSION IN YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO,
THAT KILLED ONE AND PUT SEVEN
IN THE HOSPITAL.
NTSB SAYS IT THINKS THE BLAST
WAS CAUSED BY A NATURAL GAS
LEAK IN THE BUILDING WITH A
CHASE BANK ON THE GROUND LEVEL.
27-YEAR-OLD EMPLOYEE, AKIL
DRAKE , WAS KILLED.
DO WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THE
DAY OF THE BLAST?
>> WHAT’S INTERESTING IS THEY
LAID A TRAGIC TIMELINE ON WHAT
LED UP TO THAT EXPLOSION.
THERE WAS A CREW OF FOUR INSIDE
THIS BASEMENT, INITIALLY THE
JOB WAS TO CLEAR OUT DEBRIS FOR
A RENOVATION PROJECT.
THEY MADE A SERIES OF CUTS ON
WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS A DORMANT
GAS LINE, AND THEY DIDN’T MAKE
ONE CUT, IT WAS TWO, THEN A
THIRD CUT, AND THAT WAS THE ONE
THAT LED THESE WORKERS TO REALIZE THAT SOMETHING HAD GONE
WRONG, THEY WENT UPSTAIRS
IMMEDIATELY ALERTED EVERYONE ON
THE GROUND FLOOR, CALLED 911,
THEY DID THEIR BEST TO EVACUATE
THAT 13 STORY BUILDING AS MUCH
AS POSSIBLE, BUT WHAT HAPPENED
NEXT UNFORTUNATELY WAS THAT
TRAGIC EXPLOSION THAT LEFT ONE
BANK EMPLOYEE DEAD.
WE HAVE SEEN SURVEILLANCE VIDE
, GADI, THAT IS HARROWING,
WITH A MOTHER CARRYING HER
YOUNG CHILD DOWN A STAIRWELL
SECONDS BEFORE THIS EXPLOSION
TOOK PLACE . LET’S LISTEN IN ON
THE STATE OF THAT BUILDING
RIGHT NOW.
>> THERE ARE VERY SERIOUS
CONCERNS ABOUT THE INTEGRITY AND SAFETY OF THE STRUCTURE.
CONSEQUENTIALLY NOT POSSIBLE BY
ANYONE UNTIL APPROPRIATE
DETERMINATIONS ARE MADE
REGARDING SAFETY.
>> THIS INVESTIGATION IS VERY
MUCH ONGOING, GADI.
AS A RESULT NO ONE IS ALLOWED
INSIDE.
NTSB WILL BE INSIDE FOR SEVERAL
DAYS, GATHERING AS MUCH
EVIDENCE AND VIDEO FOOTAGE AS
THEY CAN AS WELL IN HOPES OF
LEARNING MORE.
>> SOMETIMES WHEN NTSB STEPS I , AND IT TAKES DAYS, SOMETIMES
WEEKS, THE LEVEL OF THE
COMPLEXITY, THE CUT, THE CREW,
THE EVACUATION THAT THEY HELPED
WITH, I MEAN, IS ANYBODY
GETTING THE BULK OF THE BLAME
HERE?
DID EVERYTHING GO RIGHT, AND
THIS WAS A TRAGIC ACCIDENT?
>> THAT’S THE BIG QUESTION
HERE.
THE LINE APPEARED TO BE
DORMANT, NO SMELL OF GAS
EMANATED FROM THIS PIPE
THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS BY THE
CONSTRUCTION CREW LEADING UP
UNTIL THE THIRD CUT, IT WAS
RUNNING PARALLEL WITH THE GAS
MAIN THAT WAS RIGHT UNDER AS
YOU CAN SEE, ONE OF THE MAIN
STREETS THERE IN YOUNGSTOWN.
SO WE KNOW OTHER PARTY HAD CUT
THE LINE.
THAT WILL BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST
QUESTIONS GOING FORWARD HERE AS
TO WHOSE FAULT THIS WAS.
WAS IT A LINE THAT SHOULD HAVE
BEEN CUT OFF YEARS AGO AND
WASN’T?
WAS THIS AN ACTIVE LEAK?
>> WHAT ELSE DO WE KNOW ABOUT
THE VICTIM AND THE OTHERS
RECOVERING IN THE HOSPITAL? >> A YOUNGER BAKE YOUNG BANKER
EMPLOYEE. FIREFIGHTERS WERE
SAYING THEY WEREN’T GOING TO
LEAVE THE SCENE UNTIL HE HAD
BEEN RECOVERED, A 27-YEAR-OLD,
BUT GADI, HE GREW UP IN THIS
COMMUNITY.
THE MAYOR SAID HE HAD TO MAKE
ONE OF THE WORST CALLS EVER TO
AKIL DRAKE’S MOTHER, SAYING HE
WASN’T COMING HOME THAT NIGHT.
HE WAS A STANDOUT FOOTBALL