Staff photo / Ed Runyan Youngstown firefighters can be seen sifting through the rubble Tuesday afternoon following an explosion at the Realty Tower building at the corner of Market and East Federal streets downtown. The cause is still under investigation, Youngstown fire Chief Barry Finley said. However, it is believed to have been caused by a gas leak,

YOUNGSTOWN — The body of a man, 27, was recovered from the Realty Tower building late Tuesday night. He was an employee of the Chase Bank branch, where an explosion occurred at about 2:45 p.m. Tuesday.

A Youngstown Police Department press release from early this morning states that the male was one of the two missing persons Youngstown fire Chief Barry Finley discussed Tuesday evening during a press conference on the steps of the Mahoning County Courthouse.

The Realty Tower, 47 E. Federal Street downtown, had a Chase Bank branch on the first floor, where the explosion occurred. The upper floors of the 13-story building contain apartments and condominiums.

The Youngstown Police Department detective division was called to assist with the investigation of the explosion and detectives determined that the male who died was at work Tuesday and “was observed inside the building right before the blast,” the release states.

“During their rescue efforts, the Youngstown Fire Department recovered the missing person, who was unfortunately deceased,” the release states.

Finley said Tuesday evening that a woman also was not accounted for as of about 6:30 p.m. but the release adds that she has now been “accounted for.”

The release adds that the Youngstown Police Department “would like to extend its condolences to the family of the deceased and asks that the media respect their privacy.”

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