An explosion and subsequent fire occurred at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center in Bristol Township, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, resulting in at least two fatalities and multiple injuries. Emergency services initiated extensive rescue operations, while authorities commenced an investigation into the cause, which is preliminarily linked to a gas leak.
Incident Details
The event took place at approximately 2:00 PM local time (19:00 GMT) at the facility, which was previously known as Silver Lake Healthcare Center. Visual accounts and reports indicated a partial collapse of the building, visible flames, and a plume of black smoke following the explosion.
Casualties and Emergency Response
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro confirmed at least two fatalities stemming from the incident. The identities of the deceased have not yet been released. Multiple individuals sustained injuries and were transported to various hospitals, with the total number of injured remaining unconfirmed.
Bristol Fire Chief Kevin Dippolito reported five individuals were initially unaccounted for, noting that some might have departed the facility with family members. Emergency responders entered "rescue mode," evacuating residents and employees amidst the active fire and gas odor. Operations involved manual digging, the deployment of search dogs, and sonar equipment to locate individuals potentially trapped within the structure. Firefighters extricated occupants from various locations, including stairwells, elevator shafts, windows, and doors, transferring patients to waiting police officers outside the facility. Emergency services, including fire trucks, ambulances, and earthmoving equipment, responded to the scene for several hours.
Investigation into Cause
The explosion occurred while a utility crew was on-site investigating reports of a gas leak at the facility. PECO, the local gas utility, confirmed that its crews were present responding to gas odor reports shortly after 2:00 PM when the explosion took place. PECO subsequently shut off natural gas and electric services to the building.
Governor Shapiro stated that the finding of a gas leak as the cause was preliminary. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission's safety division has dispatched investigators to the scene, and a definitive cause for the explosion is expected following their examination.
A certified nursing assistant at the facility informed WPVI-TV/ABC 6 that a gas odor had been detected over the preceding weekend, though it was not considered significant at the time due to the absence of heat in rooms. A nearby resident reported hearing a "loud kaboom" and observing fire as people exited the building, speculating that the explosion originated in the kitchen area.
Facility Information and Prior History
The Bristol Health & Rehab Center is a 174-bed facility located approximately 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia. Saber Healthcare Group, the facility's owner, stated it is cooperating with local emergency authorities.
An October state inspection report indicated that the facility was non-compliant with several state regulations. These violations included a failure to provide accurate floor plans, improper maintenance of stairways (e.g., storing items under landings), lack of portable fire extinguishers on one level, absence of required "smoke barrier partitions" on two floors, and improper storage of oxygen cylinders on two floors. Conversely, Medicare.gov reported a standard fire safety inspection in September 2024 resulted in no citations. However, Medicare's overall rating for the facility is listed as "much below average," with specific poor ratings for health inspections.