Overview
- Bristol Township identified resident Patricia Mero, 66, as the third person to die following the Dec. 23 explosion, with the cause of death pending an autopsy.
- Four survivors filed the first lawsuit in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, naming PECO, Exelon, and Saber Healthcare entities tied to Bristol Health & Rehab Center.
- The complaint alleges days of gas‑odor reports and a failure to evacuate even as PECO crews were on site, while the utility says it is cooperating with the NTSB and cannot comment.
- The federal probe is testing the facility’s natural gas service line and gathering records and interviews, with a preliminary report due by early February.
- The blast killed a nurse and a resident, injured about 20 people, displaced roughly 120 residents, and intensified scrutiny of the home’s recent ownership change and prior safety citations.