A thunderous explosion at a nursing home near Philadelphia killed at least two people, collapsed part of the building, and sparked a fire, trapping residents and employees inside.
On Tuesday, December 23, 2025, a devastating explosion occurred at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center in Bristol Township, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia. The blast resulted in at least two fatalities, the collapse of a section of the building, and a subsequent fire, with people initially trapped inside. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro confirmed that emergency responders bravely faced flames, a heavy odor of gas, and a second explosion to evacuate residents and employees. Five hours later, fire officials remained in 'rescue mode,' utilizing manual digging, search dogs, earth-moving equipment, and sonar to locate potential victims. The incident happened while a utility crew was on site investigating a gas leak, though Governor Shapiro stated that a gas leak as the cause was a preliminary finding.
