Explosion at Nursing Home in Pennsylvania Kills Two, Injures Others

An explosion at a Pennsylvania nursing home that caused the building to collapse and took the lives of two people and injured about 20 others is under investigation.

The explosion occurred at Bristol Health & Rehab Center in Bristol Township in Bucks County. First responders received a report of an explosion at about 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday.

At the time, a utility crew was on site investigating a report of a gas leak by personnel in the home, although no final determination of the cause of the explosion has been made.

The township’s natural gas and electric provider PECO Energy Co. confirmed that the explosion happened when it has a team responding to reports of a gas odor at the nursing home.

“PECO crews shut off natural gas and electric service to the facility to ensure the safety of first responders and local residents. It is not known at this time if PECO’s equipment, or natural gas, was involved in this incident,” the utility said in a statement to National Public Radio (NPT).

At a news conference, Gov. Josh Shapiro said first responders had to deal not just with flames bit with braved the flames, a heavy odor of gas and a second explosion to evacuate residents and employees.

“There was a major structural collapse with parts of the first floor into the basement with persons trapped,” Bristol Fire Chief Kevin Dippolito said at a Tuesday press briefing.

Dippolito told ABC Philadelphia station WPVI that 20 people remained hospitalized as of Tuesday night.

The township declared an emergency Tuesday.

The 174-bed nursing home, which is about 25 miles northeast of Philadelphia, had just changed management on December 1 and is now affiliated with Saber Healthcare Group, an Ohio-based firm that also took over three other senior facilities in the state. Saber is now affiliated with 40 skilled nursing facilities and six personal care homes/assisted living communities in Pennsylvania.

In a statement, Saber called the explosion “devastating” and said it is working with authorities.

Shapiro said the Pennsylvania Department of Health conducted an inspection of the facility on Dec. 10 and had begun working with the new owners on recommendations to improve safety and standards.

A report on an October 29 inspection by the state health department cited several areas where the facility was not in compliance with nursing home safety codes, although the inspectors reported that none affected residents. The report called for all deficiencies to be remedied by November 30, 2025. The deficiencies included failure to provide a portable floor plan, improper storage on stairways, failure to maintain portable fire extinguishers on one of three levels, inadequate smoke barriers, improper extension cords and outlet multipliers, and a door on an oxygen storage room that failed to close tightly.

Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission investigators are reportedly on the scene.

The tragedy comes five months after a fire at an assisted living facility in New Bedford, Massachusetts took the lives of 10 residents and injured 30 others/ The cause of that fire at the Gabriel House is still under investigations. Initial reports suggested it may have been started by someone smoking or an electrical issue with an oxygen machine.

A number of residents are suing the owners of the Gabriel House and the owners and a safety inspection form are suing each other.