NTSB: Fatal Nursing Home Blast Happened Hours After Report Of Gas Smell

Federal investigators released a preliminary report detailing a timeline leading up to a December natural gas explosion that killed three people at a Bristol Township nursing home.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report reveals that the Dec. 23, 2025, blast at the Bristol Health and Rehab Center on Tower Road happened more than three hours after the facility’s maintenance director first reported the smell of gas.

The sequence of events began shortly after 11 a.m. when staff noticed gas odors in the basement and a first-floor hallway of the facility, federal investigators found.

According to the NTSB, a technician from PECO, a subsidiary of Exelon Corp., arrived at 11:50 a.m. and found a leak on a meter set valve in the boiler room.

A second technician arrived at 1:20 p.m. to perform repairs.

The NTSB noted that both the responding technician and the foreman overseeing the repair had been in their current roles for less than one year.

At approximately 2:15 p.m., as staff reported smelling gas on multiple floors, the building exploded, the report found.

The explosion triggered a partial building collapse as there were as many as 180 people inside, the NTSB report said.

Two victims died at the scene, and a third died from injuries on Jan. 5.

The deceased were Patricia Mero, 66, a resident of the facility, Muthoni Nduthu, 52, a nurse at the center and a Bristol Township resident, and an unnamed resident whose death investigation remains open at the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office.

More than 20 others were injured in the blast.

Crews from the Third District Fire Company arrived within one minute of the dispatch. Additional responders from around the region were called and took part in a six-hour search and rescue operation, the NTSB said.

While additional PECO crews arrived at 2:42 p.m., the report said the gas flow was not isolated until 3:50 p.m.

The NTSB, which holds jurisdiction over pipeline incidents, is leading the multi-agency probe.

As part of the response to the explosion, “bar hole” testing conducted at the direction of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission identified subsurface gas outside the building on the evening of Dec. 23.

Investigators have recovered the indoor meter set and excavated sections of the service line that failed pressure tests. The meter and service line components were sent to an NTSB laboratory for further examination.

The NTSB said the ongoing investigation will focus on physical evidence from the scene, PECO and Exelon’s pipeline safety management and emergency response, personnel training and operator qualifications, and procedures for odor complaints and documentation.

A final report on the explosion will be released at later date after the investigation is completed and reviewed.

Parties to the investigation include the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Bristol Township Fire Marshal’s Office, and Saber Healthcare Group, which owns the facility.

Dozens of residents displaced by the explosion have been transferred to other Saber Healthcare properties.

In the wake of the disaster, several staff members and residents have filed lawsuits against Saber Healthcare Group and PECO.

“As we continue to cooperate with the ongoing NTSB investigation, this initial report indicates that the facility acted promptly, while multiple PECO technicians unsuccessfully attempted to repair their gas line,” Saber Healthcare Group Chief of Government Affairs Zach Shamberg said.

PECO issued the below statement in response to the NTSB release:

Today, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its preliminary report on the tragic incident that occurred on December 23, 2025, at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center.  

We want to express our most heartfelt sympathies to the families and friends of those who lost their lives, to those who were injured, to the residents who have been displaced, and to the entire Bristol community affected by this tragic event. 

Independent of any external investigation, PECO remains committed to the integrity of our system and ensuring our processes and procedures are designed to address a range of situations. Nevertheless, we recognize the importance of continuous improvement and vigilance with respect to the safe and reliable delivery of electric and natural gas service. 

Following any significant incident, PECO promptly identifies and implements opportunities to enhance our service for customers and the communities we serve. Our response to this incident underscores our dedication to ongoing improvement and the importance of maintaining the highest standards of safety and reliability.  

We have recently taken steps to enhance the safety and reliability of our system, and the safety and performance of our dedicated and highly skilled employees and contractors. Some of these efforts include: 

• Assessed existing population of meters currently located indoors and reprioritized relocation of indoor meters to outdoor locations.   
• Strengthened procedures and training with our employees and enhanced processes to help ensure employees responding to issues are equipped to further maintain the safety of our systems. 
• Updated our public outreach process. 

PECO is committed to reinforcing and enhancing our safety-first culture for our customers, employees, contractors, and entire service area.