A suspected gas explosion has caused a partial building collapse at a nursing home near Philadelphia, prompting a major emergency response and being declared a mass casualty incident.
Emergency Response to 'Mass Casualty Incident'
The explosion occurred at the Silver Lake healthcare centre in Bristol Township, Pennsylvania, at approximately 2:17 pm on Tuesday. Upper Makefield Township police confirmed the situation as a "mass casualty incident" and urged the public to avoid the area, which is roughly 25 miles north-east of Philadelphia.
Ruth Miller, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, confirmed that people were reported injured and trapped inside the damaged facility. A large plume of black smoke was seen billowing from the site as fire engines and ambulances from across the region converged on the scene.
Scene Details and Evacuation Efforts
Bucks County emergency management officials reported multiple injuries but had not confirmed any fatalities as the situation remained active. Local state representative Tina Davis, whose district includes the care home, described seeing "car after car after car" of emergency vehicles rushing to the scene.
"I saw smoke and I saw car after car after car was a fire truck or ambulance from all over the city, from all over," Davis said. Officials discussed using a nearby school as a temporary evacuation point. Jim Morgan, president of the Bristol Township school board, confirmed district buses were ready to transport residents to a reunification centre at Truman High School, where beds, water, and other necessities were being arranged.
Cause Under Investigation and Facility's Record
While the exact cause remains unconfirmed, first responders and emergency officials described it as a likely gas explosion. Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, said safety division investigators were en route to the scene to determine the cause definitively.
According to Medicare.gov, the 174-bed facility underwent a standard fire safety inspection in September 2024 and received no citations. However, the facility's overall Medicare rating is listed as "much below average," with particularly poor marks for health inspections.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro stated he had been briefed on the incident, urging nearby residents to follow local authority directions. "Please join Lori and me in praying for the Bristol community," he posted on social media.
Representative Davis expressed the community's shock, stating, "It’s just so sad... I hope there’s positive results from this. We don’t know at this point." The investigation into the explosion continues.
