At least two people dead after explosion at a nursing home, authorities confirm
An explosion at a nursing home has left at least two people dead, authorities have confirmed.
On Tuesday, December 23, there was an explosion at a nursing home on the outskirts of Philadelphia, PA, which collapsed part of the building, sent fire shooting out and left people trapped inside.
Five hours later, firefighters were still rescuing people from under the rubble, with emergency personnel still digging by hand and using search dogs and sonar to locate potential victims.
The explosion happened at Bristol Health and Rehab Centre in Bristol Township, just as a utility crew had been on site looking for a gas leak. Authorities did not identify those who died and did not know the total number of injured after residents and employees were evacuated to hospitals.
Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro said at least two people had died, and asked locals 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.”
The town’s fire chief Kevin Dippolito said at a news conference that there were five people still unaccounted for, but he cautioned some may have left the scene with family members. He described a chaotic rescue where firefighters found people stuck in stairwells and elevator shafts, and pulled residents out of the fiery building through windows and doors.
The local gas utility, PECO, said its crews had responded to reports of a gas odour at the nursing home shortly after 2pm.
A spoeksperson said: “While crews were on site, an explosion occurred at the facility. PECO crews shut off natural gas and electric service to the facility to ensure the safety of first responders and local residents.”
Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, press secretary at the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, said investigators from the safety division were headed to the scene. Finding that the explosion was caused by a gas leak will not be confirmed until his agency can examine the scene up close, he said.