A powerful explosion at a Pennsylvania nursing home near Philadelphia on Tuesday claimed at least two lives, caused a partial building collapse, spewed flames, and trapped individuals inside, according to officials.
Pennsylvania authorities stated at a subsequent briefing that first responders confronted flames, a strong gas smell, and a secondary blast while evacuating residents and staff.
Fire officials reported remaining in “rescue mode” five hours after the blast, with crews manually digging and employing search dogs, heavy machinery, and sonar to find possible victims.
The blast occurred at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center in Bristol Township, coinciding with a utility team investigating a reported gas leak.
Governor Shapiro noted that the determination of a gas leak as the cause is initial.
A column of smoke was visible above the facility as emergency crews from the area converged on the scene.
The deceased have not been named, and a full count of the injured was not immediately available.
At an evening news conference, Fire Chief Kevin Dippolito said five individuals remained missing, though he noted some might have departed with relatives.
Shapiro urged Pennsylvania residents to pray “for this community, for those still missing, for the injured, and for families facing Christmas with an empty seat at their table.”
Dippolito recounted a tumultuous rescue operation where firefighters located people trapped in stairwells and elevator shafts, extracting residents through windows and doors. Two people were saved from a collapsed portion of the building, he added.
Firefighters passed patients to police outside, with one officer “literally throwing two people over his shoulders,” Dippolito described. “It was nothing short of extraordinary.” A second explosion occurred during the efforts, he said.
Bucks County emergency management officials first received word of the explosion around 2:15 p.m.
Nearby resident Willie Tye said he was watching a basketball game at home when he heard a “loud ka-boom.”
“I thought an airplane or something crashed into my house,” Tye stated.
Upon investigating, he saw “fire everywhere” and people fleeing the building. “Just got to keep praying for them,” Tye said.
The local utility, PECO, reported that an explosion happened while its crews were answering calls about a gas odor at the home.
“PECO crews shut off natural gas and electric service to the facility to ensure the safety of first responders and local residents. It is not known at this time if PECO’s equipment, or natural gas, was involved in this incident,” the company said.
One utility worker suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.
Investigators from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission responded to the site. A commission spokesperson said confirming a gas leak as the cause must wait until the agency can inspect the scene.
Musuline Watson, who identified herself as a certified nursing assistant at the home, told WPVI-TV/ABC 6 that she and others detected a gas smell over the weekend, but “there was no heat in the room, so we didn’t take it to be anything.”
The 174-bed facility is located roughly 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia. It recently became affiliated with Saber Healthcare Group and was formerly called Silver Lake Healthcare Center.
In a statement, Saber labeled the explosion “devastating.” It said staff had quickly reported the gas odor to PECO prior to the blast and is cooperating with officials to safeguard staff, residents, and the community.
The most recent state inspection in October found the facility non-compliant with multiple state regulations, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported.
The inspection cited failures to provide accurate floor plans and to adequately maintain several stairways.
It also noted a failure to maintain portable fire extinguishers on one level and to install required “smoke barrier partitions” designed to confine smoke on two floors.
Reports indicate the facility had a standard fire safety inspection in September 2024 with no violations. Medicare rates the facility overall as “much below average,” with especially poor health inspection scores.
___
Levy and Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Associated Press reporters Holly Ramer in Concord, N.H., Michael Casey in Boston and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed.