Staff at a Pennsylvania nursing home reported a smell of natural gas in the basement on the morning of December 23, hours before a deadly explosion ripped through the building, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board released Wednesday.
The explosion at Bristol Health & Rehab Center in Bristol, just outside Philadelphia, killed two residents and an employee and injured about 20 people, including a utility worker who had been at the facility investigating the odor. Part of the building collapsed, trapping people inside and requiring emergency workers to evacuate residents.
The incident raises questions about gas utility safety protocols and the timeliness of emergency response procedures at major utilities like Exelon, which owns PECO. Federal investigators said they plan to scrutinize Exelon’s pipeline safety management, training standards, and procedures for responding to odor complaints.
Timeline of Events
According to the NTSB report, a maintenance director at the nursing home reported the smell of natural gas in the basement and called the utility company at about 10:22 a.m. A PECO technician arrived just before noon, about an hour after the odor was detected. Staff also reported smelling gas on the first and second floors.
The PECO technician determined there was a leak on a valve in a meter set in the basement and called for help fixing it. Exelon dispatched a meter services technician to make the repair. The technician arrived at about 1:20 p.m. The explosion occurred approximately 55 minutes later, at around 2:15 p.m.
Questions About the Cause
Utility workers and witnesses reported a heavy smell of gas after the explosion, raising questions about whether a gas leak caused the blast. PECO said at the time it could not determine the cause of the explosion or whether its equipment was involved.
According to the NTSB report, Exelon shut off the gas flow to the facility almost two hours after the explosion. The report does not explain why it took that long to halt the gas supply.
Federal Investigation and Response
Federal investigators said the gas line and equipment have been tested, with some items sent to laboratories for further analysis. A PECO spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the company recognizes “the importance of continuous improvement and vigilance with respect to the safe and reliable delivery of electric and natural gas service” and expressed sympathy to victims and their families, displaced residents, and the wider community.