Muthoni Nduthu Obituary, Death; – A day after an explosion at a nursing home in Pennsylvania resulted in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to 20 others, authorities began assessing the significant damage and identifying the deceased victims of the blast.
Muthoni Nduthu, aged 52, from Bristol, was the first victim to be named on Wednesday, December 24, as reported by the local coroner’s office. She worked as a certified nursing assistant at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center, also referred to as Silver Lake Nursing Home, which suffered partial collapse following the explosion that struck the facility in the Philadelphia suburb of Bristol Township.
The explosion took place at approximately 2:20 p.m. on December 23, trapping numerous residents inside and prompting an extensive search-and-rescue operation that lasted for hours. Firefighters arrived promptly and rescued terrified residents from windows, stairwells, and elevator shafts, according to officials.
Two individuals, including Nduthu and another resident whose identity has not yet been disclosed, succumbed to their injuries. At least 20 additional individuals sustained injuries, and many residents were displaced. The facility is equipped with over 150 beds, although it remains unclear how many residents and staff were present in the building at the time of the explosion.
Search teams concluded their operations late on December 23 after confirming that all residents and employees at the facility were accounted for.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro stated that authorities suspect a gas leak was responsible for the “catastrophic” explosion. Crews from PECO, the local energy provider, were responding to reports of a gas smell at the nursing home shortly before the explosion occurred.
An investigation into the cause of the explosion is currently ongoing.
