A sudden blast ripped through a nursing home in Bristol, Pennsylvania, sending flames, debris, and the threat of further explosions into the night and leaving a community stunned.
The Explosion
The blast occurred on Tuesday night, shattering a wing that housed the kitchen and cafeteria. The roof collapsed, walls vanished, and windows on adjoining walls blew out. Residents and staff were trapped under rubble, in stairways, and in elevator shafts. The force of the explosion was felt in houses for blocks and was reported to have shaken buildings 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Philadelphia.
Rescue Efforts
Rescuers braved shooting flames and falling debris to evacuate dozens of residents. Police Chief Charles Winik said he had “never seen such heroism.” He added, “They were running into a building that I could – from 50 feet away – could still smell gas, and walls that looked like they were going to fall down.”
Speech therapist Julia Szewczyk described the experience as terrifying and devastating. She was in a group therapy session when the building shook. “And then the next thing was, to go inside and grab more people,” Szewczyk, 25, said. She dragged out a bed-bound resident into the cold, then ran back into the burning building twice to grab blankets from a supply closet. One coworker got trapped inside an elevator when the power went out, she said.
The emergency response included police, firefighters, hospital staff, and neighbors. They found people trapped under rubble and in stairways. One person was resuscitated at a hospital, officials said. The rescue continued even after a second explosion occurred.
Victims and Survivors
A resident and an employee were killed. The employee was 52-year-old Muthoni Nduthu, a Kenyan immigrant who had worked as a nursing assistant. Authorities did not immediately identify the resident who died at a Philadelphia hospital; both victims were women.
Nduthu’s sister, Rose Muema, described her as a devoted Catholic, a great mother, a great wife, and a hard-working community member. “She was an immigrant who came to make a difference in this country, and she did that,” Muema said.
A total of 120 residents were transferred to nearby nursing homes. The blast sent 20 others to hospitals, including one person in critical condition. Police Chief Winik said 19 people were still hospitalized on Wednesday.
Investigations and Utility Response
The cause of the explosion remains unknown. A utility crew had been on site investigating a reported gas leak. The local gas utility, PECO, said the crew shut off natural gas and electric service to the facility, but did not know if utility equipment or gas was involved.
Musuline Watson, a certified nursing assistant, told WPVI-TV that staff smelled gas over the weekend but did not suspect a serious problem because there was no heat in that room. Other employees told Szewczyk they smelled gas earlier in the day Tuesday.
Federal agencies were set to assist in the investigation, but the collapsed walls and roof needed to be cleared first, Winik said. The nursing home had recently become affiliated with Ohio-based Saber Healthcare Group, which called the explosion “devastating” and said that facility personnel promptly reported the gas odor to the local gas utility before the blast.
Community Reaction
Willie Tye, who lives about a block away, said he was watching a basketball game when he heard a loud boom. “I thought an airplane or something came and fell on my house,” he said.
Residents and neighbors rushed to help evacuate people. A nearby hospital’s staff were on hand to treat the injured. The community’s response was swift, but the scale of the casualties could have been much worse, Chief Winik warned.
Key Takeaways
- A blast at a Bristol nursing home killed a resident and an employee, injured 20 others, and forced the evacuation of 120 residents.
- The explosion was linked to a reported gas leak, but the exact cause remains under investigation.
- Rescue teams faced multiple explosions, falling debris, and a collapsed roof while clearing the wreckage.
The tragedy highlights the importance of rapid emergency response and thorough investigation into potential gas leaks in healthcare facilities. The community remains in shock as authorities work to uncover how the disaster unfolded.
