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Explosion Rips Through Austintown Senior Housing; Several Injured, Residents Evacuated

04:36 AM, 11/23/2025
Explosion Rips Through Austintown Senior Housing; Several Injured, Residents Evacuated

An explosion damaged the Phoenix House senior apartment complex in Austintown, Ohio, shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 22, injuring multiple people and exposing parts of the building. One person was hospitalized with serious injuries while others suffered minor wounds, and uninjured residents were evacuated to local facilities. Witnesses reported smelling gas and described the blast as feeling like an earthquake or a bomb. Authorities are investigating the cause and assessing the structure's integrity while asking the public to avoid the area.

Several people were injured when an explosion tore through the Phoenix House senior apartment complex in Austintown, Ohio, shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 22. Residents reported a loud blast and a shaking building; video from the scene showed a portion of the structure blown open, exposing interior walls and belongings.

Austintown Assistant Fire Chief Tom O'Hara said one person was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries and several others sustained minor wounds. Emergency crews used buses to evacuate uninjured residents to the Austintown Senior Center and local school district facilities while crews searched the building and secured the scene.

Officials said the cause of the explosion is under investigation. Multiple witnesses reported smelling gas after the blast, and authorities are reviewing the building's structural integrity as part of the inquiry. Mahoning County emergency teams and mutual aid partners remained on site working to ensure residents' safety and to complete search and rescue checks.

"It felt like an earthquake," resident Michael Kosach said. "I didn't know how bad it was until I got out."

"There was a big, loud blast — then boom," recalled resident Don Lampley, and fellow resident Cindy Duke added, "It felt like a bomb."

Onlookers who were not injured gathered in the parking lot, some wrapped in blankets or holding pets. Authorities have advised people to avoid the area while emergency personnel continue evacuation, rescue and investigative operations.

Investigators continue to examine the scene and have not yet released a cause. Officials will provide updates as more information becomes available.

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