A sudden and devastating explosion leveled the Silver Lake healthcare center in Bristol Township on Sunday morning. This devastating accident has already taken two lives with five still missing. The incident occurred around 2:17 PM, sending a substantial plume of black smoke into the sky and prompting an immediate response from emergency services across the region.
Witnesses described a nightmarish scene as part of the medical complex crumbled. Residents close by recounted the terror and confusion they felt as the explosion shook their community. “I was thinking an airplane or something had crashed into my house,” shouted Willie Tye. As a lifelong resident of East Palestine, he was . . . within a mile of the blast.
Emergency responders were on the scene within minutes, setting up an incident command center at the explosion site. Ruth Miller, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, said some people were still stuck inside the structure.
“Just got to keep praying for them,” – Willie Tye
Upper Makefield Township police have referred to the incident as a “mass casualty incident.” This designation highlights the seriousness of the situation as rescuers continue to work around the clock to do search and rescue for survivors. Now the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has taken action. Foss envoy and press secretary Nils Hagen-Frederiksen announced that their team would be going to the scene to determine what caused the explosion.
Musuline Watson, a certified nursing assistant at Silver Lake, noted that she had detected a gas smell at the facility over the weekend. “There was no heat in the room, so we didn’t take it to be anything,” she explained, reflecting on the unfortunate circumstances leading up to the explosion.
As news of the tragedy began to emerge, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was read in to what was rapidly becoming an unfolding situation. In a statement, he extended his condolences and urged residents to pray for the devastated community.
District buses are currently working to transport people from the nursing home to a reunification center set up at Truman High School. There, families can wait and get periodic updates about their loved one. The entire community has shown strength and unity in coming to the aid of those affected by this unprecedented disaster.
Tina Davis, a neighbor, explains how she experienced the explosion. But now, I knew smoke all too well, she told us. Car after car—fire truck and ambulance—floored it in from every corner of the city. She continued, “It’s so tragic – it is that promising time of the year. And, you know, this is just something that is heartbreaking for everyone and the families and the workers that are out there. I hope there’s positive results from this. We don’t know at this point.