Explosion Rocks Nursing Home
On Wednesday, construction teams began clearing collapsed structures at a Pennsylvania nursing home to assist investigators in determining the cause of a deadly explosion. The blast on Tuesday afternoon resulted in the deaths of a resident and an employee, with 20 others hospitalized, one critically.
Police Chief Charles Winik of Bristol Township confirmed that all 120 residents and remaining employees were accounted for after extensive searches. Survivors have been relocated to nearby nursing facilities.
The Bucks County coroner identified the deceased employee as 52-year-old Muthoni Nduthu. The resident who died has not yet been named; both victims were women.
Investigation Underway
Authorities have not determined the cause of the explosion at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center, despite a utility crew being on-site investigating a reported gas leak when it occurred. The blast was so forceful it shook houses for blocks in Bristol, located about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia.
A section of the facility housing the kitchen and cafeteria was nearly destroyed, with the roof collapsed, walls missing, and windows blown out. Debris was scattered across the grounds.
Winik noted that casualties could have been higher. Police and firefighters from the area, along with staff from a neighboring hospital and local residents, assisted in evacuating the injured. One person was resuscitated at a hospital.
Heroic Rescue Efforts
Firefighters faced strong gas odors, flames, collapsing walls, and even a second explosion to rescue people trapped in stairways, elevator shafts, and under rubble. "I've never seen such heroism," Winik told reporters on Wednesday. "They were running into a building that I could—from 50 feet away—could still smell gas, and walls that looked like they were going to fall down."
He added that some residents were non-ambulatory or in wheelchairs. As of Wednesday, 19 people remained hospitalized. Federal agencies are set to aid the investigation as wreckage is removed. "Until we excavate the area and remove the walls and roof that collapsed, we won't have any idea of what may have occurred in there," Winik said.
Background and Response
The explosion at the 174-bed nursing home occurred shortly after a utility crew responded to reports of a gas odor. PECO, the local gas utility, stated that the crew shut off natural gas and electric service but did not know if utility equipment or gas was involved.
Willie Tye, a resident about a block away, described hearing a loud boom while watching a basketball game. "I thought an airplane or something came and fell on my house," he said. Upon going outside, he saw "fire everywhere" and people fleeing the building.
State records show the facility was cited for multiple violations in an October inspection by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, including issues with floor plans, stairway maintenance, fire extinguishers, and smoke barriers. Medicare rates the facility as "much below average," with poor health inspection ratings.
Musuline Watson, a certified nursing assistant at the facility, told WPVI-TV that staff smelled gas over the weekend but did not initially suspect a serious problem due to a lack of heat in the room. The nursing home recently affiliated with Ohio-based Saber Healthcare Group, which called the explosion "devastating" and stated that personnel promptly reported the gas odor before the blast.
