Two dead after 'catastrophic' explosion at US nursing home

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said in a news conference several hours after the explosion that at least two had been killed.

Fire officials said they were in "rescue mode" five hours later, with emergency personnel still digging by hand and using search dogs and sonar to locate potential victims.

The explosion happened at Bristol Health & Rehab Center in Bristol Township, just as a utility crew had been on site looking for a gas leak.

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Authorities did not identify those who died and did not know the total number of injured after residents and employees were evacuated to hospitals.

Mr Shapiro asked his fellow Pennsylvanians to take a moment to pray "for this community, for those who are still missing, for those who are injured, and for those families who are about to celebrate Christmas with an empty chair at their table".

Taking to X, Mr Shapiro said: "It’s the night before Christmas Eve, and still so many rushed out of their houses, away from their families, to help their fellow Pennsylvanians. They’re in our prayers along with the victims and their families — and the heroism they showed tonight will not be forgotten."

The town's fire chief Kevin Dippolito said at the news conference that there were five people still unaccounted for, but he cautioned some may have left the scene with family members.

He described a chaotic rescue where firefighters found people stuck in stairwells and elevator shafts, and pulled residents out of the fiery building through windows and doors.

They handed off patients to waiting police officers outside, including one "who literally threw two people over his shoulders," Mr Dippolito said. "It was nothing short of extraordinary."

Bucks County emergency management officials said they received the report of an explosion at approximately 2.17pm and said a portion of the building was reported to have collapsed.

Mr Shapiro said a finding that the gas leak caused the explosion was preliminary.

The local gas utility, PECO, said its crews had responded to reports of a gas odour at the nursing home shortly after 2pm.

"While crews were on site, an explosion occurred at the facility. PECO crews shut off natural gas and electric service to the facility to ensure the safety of first responders and local residents," the utility said in a statement.

Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, press secretary at the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, said investigators from the safety division were headed to the scene. Finding that the explosion was caused by a gas leak will not be confirmed until his agency can examine the scene up close, he said.