(Bristol) A violent explosion Tuesday at a retirement home near Philadelphia killed at least two people, caused part of the building to collapse, set off a massive fire and trapped people inside, authorities said.
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Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said at a press conference several hours after the explosion that at least two people had died. Emergency services braved the flames and a strong smell of gas to evacuate residents and staff.
Five hours later, firefighters were still carrying out a rescue operation. Crews continued to dig by hand and used search dogs and sonar to locate possible victims.
The explosion occurred at Bristol Health & Rehab Center, just as a utility response team was on scene to check for a gas leak.
PHOTO BASTIAAN SLABBERS, REUTERS
Silver Lake Nursing Home
A plume of black smoke rose from the nursing home, as emergency responders, fire trucks and ambulances from across the region rushed to the scene, joined by earth-moving equipment.
Authorities have not yet identified the people who died or the total number of injuries after residents and employees were evacuated to hospitals.
Mr. Shapiro invited his fellow Pennsylvanians to pray for a moment “for this community, for those still missing, for the injured and for the families who are preparing to celebrate Christmas with an empty chair at their table.”
The city’s fire chief, Kevin Dippolito, mentioned during Tuesday evening’s press conference that five people were still missing, while specifying that some had perhaps left the scene with relatives.
Mr. Dippolito described a chaotic rescue operation in which firefighters found people trapped in stairwells and elevator shafts, and extricated residents from the burning building through windows and doors.
They handed over the injured to police officers waiting outside, including one “who literally carried two people on his shoulders,” Mr. Dippolito said.
PHOTO BASTIAAN SLABBERS, REUTERS
A firefighter at the scene of the accident
County officials said they received a report of an explosion around 2:17 p.m. and said part of the building collapsed.
Mr. Shapiro stressed that the conclusions that the gas leak caused the explosion were preliminary.
Local gas supplier PECO said its crews responded to reports of a gas odor at the retirement home shortly after 2 p.m.
“While the teams were on site, an explosion occurred in the establishment. PECO teams cut off the natural gas and electricity supply to ensure the safety of rescue workers and local residents,” the company said in a statement.
Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission, said investigators from the safety division were on the scene. He said the cause of the explosion would only be confirmed after a thorough inspection of the scene.
This 174-bed nursing home is located about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia. Its owner, Saber Healthcare Group, said it was working with local emergency services.
The facility was known until recently as Silver Lake Healthcare Center.
PHOTO BASTIAAN SLABBERS, REUTERS
Firefighters at the scene of the explosion
The last state inspection report for this facility was in October, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health found it to be non-compliant with several state regulations.
The report said the facility failed to provide accurate floor plans and failed to properly maintain several staircases, including storing numerous paint buckets and a box spring under the landings.
He also points out the absence of portable fire extinguishers on one of the three levels and the failure to install the mandatory smoke barriers, designed to contain smoke on two floors. Additionally, oxygen cylinders were not stored properly on two of the three floors.
According to Medicare.gov, the facility underwent a standard fire safety inspection in September 2024, during which no violations were found. However, this facility’s overall Medicare rating is “much below average,” with particularly low ratings for health inspections.
