Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- A fire and explosion at a Philadelphia nursing home killed two people.
- Twenty were hospitalized, with one in critical condition; a gas leak is suspected.
PHILADELPHIA — Two people are dead after a fire and explosion tore through a nursing home on the outskirts of Philadelphia on Tuesday, prompting local responders, bystanders and staff to rush the elderly residents to safety, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said.
One of those killed was an employee and the other was a resident, Bristol Police Chief Charles Winik said at a news conference Wednesday. Twenty people were initially hospitalized, but one has since been released. One person is in critical condition. No first responders were injured, he said.
Authorities had previously said some people were missing, but Winik confirmed all nursing home residents and employees have been accounted for.
Officials' preliminary belief is that a gas leak caused the explosion, Shapiro said at a news conference Tuesday evening.
The investigation is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board, which arrived on the scene Wednesday morning, it said in a statement.
Investigators won't be able to fully evaluate the natural gas service line until a safe path is cleared, which could take several days, they said. Once it's safe, investigators "will continue documenting the accident scene and conducting further examinations of the pipeline and equipment involved."
PECO, the local utility company, said in a statement Tuesday, "It is not known at this time if PECO's equipment, or natural gas, was involved in this incident."
The National Transportation Safety Board has a division that investigates accidents involving the transportation of natural gas.
Crews from PECO responded to reports of a gas odor in the facility shortly after 2 p.m., the company said in a statement Tuesday.
"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," the company said.
First responders worked quickly to remove everyone they could find as they still smelled a heavy gas odor, Fire Chief Kevin Dippolito said Tuesday. About 15 to 30 seconds after firefighters left the building, there was another explosion and subsequent fire, he said, showing just how dangerous conditions were during the early rescue efforts.
In addition to the fire, the building suffered major damage as the first floor partially collapsed into the basement, Dippolito said. On Wednesday, the fire chief said the collapse occurred in the part of the building where the cafeteria is located, with a utility area beneath it. He reiterated that the origin of the explosion remains unknown.
As of Wednesday morning, authorities had used "heavy machinery" to remove the building's collapsed ceilings and walls, Dippolito said.
"The explosion was really quite catastrophic," Shapiro said Tuesday night.
