ENBRIDGE GAS OHIO

Incident Narrative

"ON MAY 28TH, 2024 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:44PM, AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED AT THE REALTY BUILDING LOCATED AT 47 E FEDERAL STREET, YOUNGSTOWN, OH. THE EXPLOSION DESTROYED THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING, AND SEVERELY DAMAGED THE BASEMENT AND FLOORS ABOVE IT. THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE 13 STORY BUILDING WAS OCCUPIED BY A BRANCH OF CHASE BANK, WHILE THE STORIES ABOVE CONTAINED OFFICES AND 23 APARTMENT UNITS. THE EXPLOSION RESULTED IN A ONE FATALITY AND 9 INJURIES REQUIRING HOSPITALIZATION. AFTER THE EXPLOSION, AN INITIAL INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED BY ENBRIDGE GAS OHIO THE NIGHT OF MAY 28TH AND CONTINUING INTO THE MORNING OF MAY 29TH DETERMINED THAT AN INACTIVE SERVICE LINE TO AN UNDERGROUND VAULT CONNECTED TO THE BUILDING HAD BEEN CUT, WHICH RESULTED IN A RELEASE OF NATURAL GAS. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR HAD BEEN HIRED TO CLEAR OUT OLD UTILITIES IN THE BASEMENT OF THE BUILDING, AND THAT CONTRACTOR MADE THE CUT TO THE INACTIVE SERVICE LINE. A NTSB INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCIDENT WAS ANNOUNCED THE AFTERNOON OF MAY 29TH, AND IS ON-GOING. AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS PUBLICLY RELEASED DURING THE COURSE OF THE NTSB INVESTIGATION, FUTURE SUPPLEMENTAL REPORTS WILL BE UPDATED TO REFLECT THOSE FACTS. THE TOTAL DAMAGES FROM THE INCIDENT ARE STILL BEING DETERMINED. THE FIGURES USED IN THIS REPORT WERE BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE VALUATION DATA FROM THE MAHONING COUNTY AUDITOR WEBSITE AND ARE ONLY A PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE. 11/13/2025 SUPPLEMENTAL/FINAL UPDATE: THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD DETERMINED THAT THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION AND SUBSEQUENT FATALITY WAS A CUT BY A SCRAP-REMOVAL CREW INTO AN ACTIVE CUSTOMER OWNED SERVICE LINE, WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY DOCUMENTED AS HAVING BEEN ABANDONED YEARS EARLIER BY THE PIPELINE OWNER AT THE TIME, DOMINION ENERGY INC., AND WHICH ALLOWED NATURAL GAS TO LEAK INTO THE REALTY BUILDING WHERE IT WAS IGNITED BY AN UNKNOWN SOURCE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE SEVERITY OF THE ACCIDENT WERE CHASE BANK