BRISTOL, PA– A loud explosion Tuesday at a nursing home outside Philadelphia killed at least two people, caused part of the building to collapse, and gunfire left people trapped inside, authorities said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro Emergency responders braved flames, the heavy smell of gas and a second explosion to evacuate residents and staff, he said in a later news conference.
Fire officials said they were in “rescue mode” five hours later, with responders continuing to dig by hand and using search dogs, earth-moving equipment and sonar to locate potential victims.
The explosion occurred at Bristol Hospital & Bristol Township Rehabilitation Center, just as a utility crew was on the scene looking for a gas leak.
Shapiro said the finding that a gas leak caused the explosion was preliminary.
A plume of smoke rose from the nursing home as emergency responders from across the region rushed there.
The authorities did not identify the dead and did not immediately know the total number of wounded.
The town’s fire chief, Kevin Dippolito, said at the press conference Tuesday evening that five people were still missing, but warned that some may have left the scene with their family members.
Shapiro asked his Pennsylvania colleagues to take a moment to pray “for this community, for those who are still missing, for those who are injured, and for those families who are about to celebrate Christmas with an empty chair at their table.”
Dippolito described a chaotic rescue operation as firefighters found people stuck in stairs and elevator shafts and pulled residents out of the burning building through windows and doors. He added that two people were rescued from under part of the collapsed building.
Firefighters handed patients over to police officers waiting outside, including one who “literally threw two people on his shoulders,” Dippolito said. “It was nothing short of extraordinary.” He added that a second explosion occurred during the rescue operation.
Bucks County Emergency Management officials said they first received a report of an explosion at about 2:15 p.m
Willie Tye, who lives about a block away, said he was sitting at home watching a basketball game on TV when he heard a loud noise.
“I thought a plane or something came and fell on my house,” Ty said.
He got up to look and saw “fire everywhere” and people fleeing the building. “You just have to keep praying for them,” Ty said.
The local gas company, PECO, said that while its crew was responding to reports of a gas smell at the nursing home, an explosion occurred.
“PECO crews shut down natural gas and electric services to the facility to ensure the safety of first responders and local residents. It is not known at this time whether PECO equipment, or natural gas, was involved in this incident,” the company said in a statement.
One worker suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the utility said.
Investigators from the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission went to the scene. A Utilities Commission spokesman said the finding that the explosion was caused by a gas leak would not be confirmed until the agency could examine the scene.
Musulin Watson, who said she was a certified nursing assistant at the facility, told WPVI-TV/ABC 6 that she and others there, over the weekend, smelled gas, but “there was no heat in the room, so we didn’t consider it anything.”
The 174-bed nursing home is located about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Philadelphia. It has recently joined the Saber Healthcare Group and was until recently known as Silver Lake Healthcare Centre.
In a statement, Saber described the explosion as “devastating.” She said facility staff immediately reported the smell of gas to PECO prior to the explosion, and it is working with authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of staff, residents and the community.
The facility’s last state inspection report was issued in October, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health found it was not in compliance with several state regulations.
The inspection report said the facility failed to provide an accurate set of floor plans and properly maintain several stairs.
She said the facility failed to maintain portable fire extinguishers on one of the three levels and failed to provide required “smoke barrier sections,” which are designed to contain smoke on two floors.
according to Medicare.govThe facility underwent a standard fire safety inspection in September 2024, during which no citations were issued. The facility’s overall rating by Medicare is listed as “well below average,” with poor ratings for health inspections in particular.
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Levy and Solforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Associated Press reporters Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, Michael Casey in Boston and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed.