Investigators sift through wreckage after a deadly Pennsylvania nursing home explosion

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BRISTOL, Pa. (AP) — Construction crews worked to clear the rubble of a Pennsylvania nursing home Wednesday, a day after a powerful explosion killed two people, hospitalized 20 others, sent flames shooting out and collapsed part of the building.

Searchers accounted for everyone who was thought to be missing, Bristol Police Chief Charles Winik said.

Two had been reported dead on Tuesday evening, but responders were still trying to locate others in hospitals or the wreckage of the Bristol Health & Rehab Center that exploded hours earlier.

Nineteen people were still hospitalized, one in critical condition, he said. An investigation into the cause and origin was underway with support from federal agencies, he said.

Authorities did not immediately identify the deceased, but said one was a resident and one was an employee. Both were women, they said.

The blast at the 174-bed nursing home in Bristol Township, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Philadelphia, happened shortly after a utility crew responded to reports of a gas odor at the facility on Tuesday afternoon, authorities said. Investigators were examining whether a gas leak caused the explosion, a finding officials cautioned remains preliminary.

On Wednesday, workers were using heavy equipment to clear sections of collapsed roof and walls to help investigators gain better access, Winik said.

Emergency responders from across the region had evacuated residents and dug through debris amid flames, smoke, a strong smell of gas and even a second explosion, officials said.

Fire Chief Kevin Dippolito described a chaotic rescue in which firefighters found people trapped in stairwells and elevator shafts and pulled residents from windows and doors. Two people were rescued from a collapsed section of the building and one was resuscitated at a hospital.

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. When he went outside, he saw “fire everywhere” and people fleeing the building.

State records show the facility was cited for multiple violations during its most recent inspection in October by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, including failing to provide accurate floor plans, properly maintain stairways and fire extinguishers on one level. Inspectors also cited the facility for lacking required smoke barrier partitions designed to contain smoke across floors.

Medicare’s overall rating of the facility is listed as “much below average,” with poor ratings for health inspections in particular.

The local gas utility, PECO, said its crews were responding to reports of a gas odor when the explosion occurred. The company said it shut off natural gas and electric service to the facility to protect first responders and nearby 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.

Investigators from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission went to the scene. A utility commission spokesperson said a determination that a gas leak caused the explosion cannot be confirmed until investigators examine the site.

Musuline Watson, who said she was a certified nursing assistant at the facility, told WPVI-TV that staff smelled gas over the weekend but did not initially suspect a serious problem because there was no heat in that room.

The nursing home recently became affiliated with Saber Healthcare Group and was previously known as Silver Lake Healthcare Center.

Saber called the explosion “devastating” in a statement and said facility personnel promptly reported the gas odor to PECO before the blast. The company said it was cooperating with authorities to ensure the safety of residents, staff and the surrounding community.

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Levy and Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Associated Press reporters Mingson Lau in Bristol, Pennsylvania; Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire and Michael Casey in Boston contributed to this report.