Overview
- The Bucks County coroner identified 66-year-old resident Patricia Mero as the third fatality, ruling her death from chest trauma an accident.
- Four injured survivors filed the first lawsuit in Philadelphia court against PECO, Exelon, Saber Healthcare entities and others, alleging warnings about a gas leak were ignored and the building was not evacuated.
- Authorities and residents reported a persistent gas odor in the days before the Dec. 23 blast, and a PECO crew was on site investigating a reported leak when the explosion occurred.
- The NTSB is leading the origin-and-cause probe, testing the facility’s natural gas service line, collecting records and interviews, and plans to release a preliminary report in the coming weeks.
- PECO says it is cooperating with the federal investigation and has not confirmed whether its equipment or natural gas were involved, while records show the facility changed owners in early December following prior safety citations under the former operator.