Overview

• A pre-dawn blast around 4:50 a.m. Sunday leveled three connected rowhomes on the 1900 block of West Bristol Street in North Philadelphia.
• Firefighters, police and K9 teams conducted primary and secondary searches, recovering one fatality and rescuing two elderly women, one in critical condition and one stable.
• Federal ATF agents joined city fire marshals and Department of Licenses and Inspections teams to investigate the explosion’s origin and assess structural safety.
• Ten neighboring households were evacuated and a Red Cross reception center at Edward T. Steel School opened to shelter displaced residents.
• Mayor Cherelle Parker announced a victims’ fund to support families affected by the blast and pledged ongoing city assistance.