BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released new preliminary findings in its investigation into last month’s deadly explosion at a Bucks County nursing home, shedding light on gas leaks reported hours before the blast.
The explosion occurred on the afternoon of December 23 at the Bristol Health and Rehab Center, where approximately 180 people were inside the building at the time.
According to the NTSB report, the facility’s maintenance director contacted PECO around 11 a.m. after detecting a natural gas odor in the basement boiler room and a first-floor hallway.
The report states that Exelon — PECO’s parent company — supplied natural gas to the building through an underground coated steel service line and an indoor rotary meter set located in the basement.
An Exelon energy technician arrived at the facility around 11:50 a.m. and identified a gas leak on a meter set valve in the boiler room. Dispatch was contacted for repair assistance, and a meter services technician was sent to make the repair, arriving around 1:20 p.m.
Just under an hour later, at approximately 2:15 p.m., the building exploded.
Following the blast, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission directed Exelon to conduct bar hole testing, which detected subsurface gas outside the building later that evening.
The NTSB said investigators were able to recover the indoor gas meter set and excavated portions of the service line that failed to hold pressure during testing.
The explosion ultimately killed three people: residents Patricia Mero, 66, and Ann Reddy, along with 52-year-old nurse Muthoni Nduthu, who passed away in early January. Around 20 others were injured.
Investigators also noted that both the Exelon foreman and meter services technician involved in the response had less than one year of experience in their current roles.
Nursing home staff told investigators that shortly before the explosion, the smell of gas was no longer limited to the basement and first floor — it had spread to the second floor as well.
The NTSB said the investigation remains ongoing and will now focus on reviewing physical evidence, Exelon’s pipeline safety systems, personnel training, odor complaint response procedures, and emergency response protocols.
