AT LEAST TWO DEAD IN PENNSYLVANIA NURSING HOME EXPLOSION, GOVERNOR SAYS. (PHOTO).

 At least two dead in Pennsylvania nursing home explosion, governor says

 A powerful explosion tore through a nursing home in Bristol Township, just outside Philadelphia, on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least two people, collapsing part of the building, and igniting a fast-moving fire that left residents and employees trapped inside. Thick black smoke billowed into the air as flames shot from the structure, prompting a massive emergency response from fire departments, police, and medical crews across the region. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said several hours after the blast that emergency responders pushed through intense flames and a strong odor of gas to evacuate those inside, confirming multiple fatalities while warning that the situation remained fluid as rescue operations continued.

Fire officials said crews were still in full rescue mode more than five hours after the explosion, carefully searching through debris by hand while also deploying search dogs and sonar equipment to locate anyone who might still be trapped. The blast occurred at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center at a time when a utility crew was already on site investigating a reported gas leak. Authorities said they could not immediately determine how many people were injured, as residents and staff were rushed to area hospitals following the evacuation, and officials had not yet released the identities of those who were killed.

At an evening briefing, Bristol Township Fire Chief Kevin Dippolito said five people were still unaccounted for, though he cautioned that some may have left the scene with family members during the chaos. He described a harrowing rescue effort in which firefighters encountered residents trapped in stairwells and elevator shafts and were forced to pull people from the burning building through windows and doorways. Outside, police officers and medics worked rapidly to receive evacuees, including one officer who carried multiple victims to safety over his shoulders. Dippolito called the actions of first responders “nothing short of extraordinary” amid the dangerous conditions.

Bucks County emergency management officials said they received the first report of an explosion at approximately 2:17 p.m., with early reports indicating that a section of the building had collapsed. Nearby residents said the blast could be felt well beyond the facility. Willie Tye, who lives about a block away, said he was watching a basketball game at home when he heard what he described as a “loud kaboom” that shook his house. He initially thought an aircraft had crashed nearby before rushing outside and seeing flames and people fleeing the nursing home. Tye said it appeared the explosion originated near the kitchen area and that some residents and workers did not make it out.

Gov. Shapiro urged Pennsylvanians to keep the community in their prayers, particularly for those still missing, the injured, and families facing the holiday season after a devastating loss. He emphasized that while a gas leak was believed to be the cause of the explosion, that conclusion was preliminary and subject to further investigation. The local gas utility confirmed that crews had responded to reports of a gas odor shortly after 2 p.m. and were on site when the explosion occurred, prompting an immediate shutdown of natural gas and electrical service to the facility to protect first responders and nearby residents.

State utility safety investigators were dispatched to the scene, noting that the cause of the explosion would not be confirmed until a detailed, on-site examination could be completed. A certified nursing assistant who worked at the facility said staff had noticed the smell of gas over the weekend but believed it might be related to heating issues, as there was no heat in certain rooms at the time. The nursing home, which has 174 beds and is located about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia, is owned by Saber Healthcare Group, which said it was cooperating fully with emergency officials. The facility was previously known as Silver Lake Healthcare Center.

State inspection records show the nursing home had faced multiple compliance issues in recent months, including problems with maintaining stairways, fire safety equipment, smoke containment features, and the proper storage of oxygen cylinders. Inspectors also noted deficiencies related to fire extinguishers and interior safety barriers designed to limit the spread of smoke. While a recent standard fire safety inspection did not result in citations, the facility has received an overall rating well below average, driven largely by poor marks in health inspections. Investigators said all of those factors would likely be reviewed as part of the broader effort to determine what led to one of the deadliest nursing home incidents in the region in recent years.