BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A powerful explosion and fire tore through the Bristol Health & Rehab Center, formerly known as the Silver Lake Nursing Home, on Tuesday afternoon, killing two women and injuring at least 20 others, authorities said. The blast caused part of the facility to collapse, prompting a large-scale rescue and evacuation operation just days before Christmas.
The explosion occurred around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday as utility crews from PECO were responding to reports of a gas odor at the facility, located about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia. Officials said preliminary findings suggest a gas leak may have triggered the blast, though investigators cautioned that the cause has not yet been definitively confirmed.
Emergency responders from multiple counties, including Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia, rushed to the scene as flames and smoke erupted and sections of the building’s first floor collapsed into the basement. Firefighters and other personnel worked amid lingering gas odors and debris to rescue residents, many of whom were elderly or unable to walk on their own, from stairwells, elevator shafts, windows and other hazardous areas.
Authorities confirmed two fatalities, one a resident and the other an employee of the nursing home; both were women, though their identities have not been fully released pending next-of-kin notifications. Nineteen other people remained hospitalized Wednesday, and at least one was in critical condition, officials said.
Bristol Police Chief Charles Winik said responders ultimately accounted for everyone believed to be inside the facility at the time of the explosion. Heavy machinery was brought in to clear collapsed walls and roof sections so investigators can better access the scene and continue their probe into what caused the massive blast.
