4 injured in suburban Philadelphia nursing home explosion file
negligence lawsuit
[January 06, 2026]
Four people hurt when an explosion ripped through a Pennsylvania
nursing home two weeks ago sued the facility and a natural gas utility
on Monday, claiming their negligence was to blame.
Two workers at Bristol Health & Rehab Center LLC, a resident of the
suburban Philadelphia facility and a contractor who happened to be there
when the blast occurred on Dec. 23 filed the lawsuit. The defendants
include PECO Energy Company, which provided natural gas to the complex,
its parent company Exelon Corp., and Saber Healthcare Holdings LLC of
Beachwood, Ohio.
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Investigators work around Bristol Health & Rehab Center and surrounding
rubble after a gas explosion the day prior on Dec. 24, 2025, in Bristol,
Pa. (AP Photo/Mingson Lau, File) |
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The lawsuit filed in Philadelphia court claims the defendants
“were aware of a gas leak in the building and failed to take the
steps necessary to evacuate the building, fix the leak and
protect the residents, workers and others that were exposed to
the horrific blast.”
Zach Shamberg, Saber Healthcare Group chief of government
affairs, said in an email Monday that the company is cooperating
with the ongoing investigation and does not comment on
litigation.
PECO communications director Greg Smore said in an email that as
a party to an investigation by the National Transportation
Safety Board, the company was not permitted to comment. The gas
utility has previously said the cause is under investigation and
it’s not known whether PECO’s equipment or natural gas were
involved.
The explosion killed a resident and a worker and injured 20
other people. Officials have not said what caused it, but a PECO
crew had been there to investigate a reported gas leak.
The lawsuit claims the gas leak “had been festering for days”
and the gas odor came from the boiler room.
“Defendants' decision not to immediately initiate evacuation
procedures under these circumstances was reckless and outrageous
given the population within the building, with many of the
residents having limited mobility and unable to self-evacuate in
the case of an emergency,” the lawsuit alleged.
A utility crew was responding to reports of a gas odor when the
explosion happened, authorities have said.
Authorities reported acts of heroism in response to the
explosion. About 100 residents were taken to other nursing homes
nearby, officials said.
One of the people who died was Muthoni Nduthu, 52, a Kenyan
immigrant who worked there. The other victim was a resident
whose name has not been made public.
The force of the blast shook nearby houses for blocks in
Bristol, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of
Philadelphia.
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