PECO tech encountered unfamiliar gas valve before deadly nursing home blast

nbc10 investigators PECO tech encountered unfamiliar gas valve before deadly nursing home blast Records trace the part's design to the 1940s, but federal investigators have not yet determined what caused the Bristol, Pennsylvania, explosion. By David Charns and Ali Ingersoll • Published 15 minutes ago • Updated 15 minutes ago A PECO technician responding to a gas leak hours before a Bucks County nursing home exploded last December told federal investigators he had never encountered the type of valve involved before, according to newly released documents. The NTSB released more than 3,200 pages of documents as part of its investigation into the Dec. 23, 2025, explosion at the Bristol Health and Rehab Center. The documents do not include a final determination or complete report on the incident. Stream Philadelphia News for free, 24/7, wherever you are with NBC10. WATCH HERE Muthoni Nduthu, a 52-year-old Kenyan immigrant who worked at the facility, and an unidentified nursing home resident died in the explosion. In January, another nursing home resident, 66-year-old Patricia Mero , died from her injuries. Documents detail how an employee at the nursing home called PECO at 11:07 a.m. to report a possible leak. Around 2 p.m., the center's maintenance director "began receiving gas odor complaints from employees." NBC10 NBC10 The building exploded at 2:15 p.m. A PECO meter technician dispatched to the facility before the explosion later told investigators he had never seen that type of valve before. Local Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. First Alert Weather 5 hours ago Chilly, breezy weekend ahead with a chance of flurries Philadelphia International Airport 36 minutes ago FAA orders nationwide airport ground stop due to ‘communication issue' The documents do not establish when the valve was installed or manufactured. Records reviewed by NBC10, however, trace its design to the 1940s and the valve is no longer made, according to the NTSB. The company that manufactured the valve did not respond to a request for comment. At least two people were killed while several others are hurt or missing following an explosion at a nursing home in Bristol Township, Pennsylvania. NBC10's Shaira Arias has the story. The NTSB documents also show PECO had found a separate gas leak at the nursing home 77 days before the explosion as part of proactive maintenance. Records indicate workers repaired that earlier leak. The documents also indicate PECO employees had difficulty locating some records for the nursing home because the facility's address was incorrect in the company's system. As a result, information about the gas service, including the service line and gas main, was not readily available, according to the documents. One PECO employee raised concerns about a leak sheet workers were instructed to create after the explosion, in part because the nursing home's "working address" was not in PECO's system. The employee characterized the document as a "completely fabricated piece of evidence" and said he believed workers had essentially "forged a company document" for management, according to the NTSB documents. The employee also told investigators the information recorded on the leak sheet was accurate to the best of his knowledge, saying his concerns included how the document was created, partially completed and filed, according to the NTSB documents. Jordan Strokovsky represents Susan Gubitosi, a nursing home resident in her 70s who survived the explosion and suffered several broken bones. "She is such a strong person and such a positive person and her resilience is remarkable, but she's going to be spending the rest of her life in pain and she's going to be suffering until her very last breath," Strokovsky said. PECO declined an on-camera interview with NBC10 but released a statement, indicating the company made safety changes in the afternoon, including employee training and identifying indoor meters and moving them outside. "We want to continue to express our heartfelt sympathies to the families and friends of those who lost their lives, to those who were injured, to the residents who were displaced, and to the entire Bristol community affected by this tragic event," PECO Communications said in part. "Independent of any external investigation, PECO remains committed to the integrity of our system and ensuring our processes and procedures are designed to address a range of situations. We recognize the importance of continuous improvement and vigilance with respect to the safe and reliable delivery of electric and natural gas service." Saber Healthcare Group, which owns the nursing home, also sent a statement to NBC10. "First and foremost, our thoughts remain with the residents, families, and staff who lost loved ones or were injured on December 23rd," the statement said. "The NTSB's records confirm what we have said from the start: our staff promptly reported the gas odor to PECO, and the gas line and valve that leaked belonged to PECO. These new investigative records show PECO's response was marked by serious failures: a technician was dispatched who had not been trained to repair an indoor leak, they could not locate their own shutoff valve, they did not shut off the gas before working on the leaking valve, and gas continued to flow to the building for more than 90 minutes after the explosion. Further, PECO did not even have a correct address for the facility in its system. We will continue to cooperate fully with the NTSB and their ongoing investigation." IBEW Local 614, the union that represents PECO employees, also released a statement. "Our members told the truth, totally cooperated with this investigation, and the NTSB report proves the need for more oversight," the statement said. "The sins of PECO management were paid for in blood and this is a wakeup call. There is catastrophic neglect across the system that will cause more fatalities if left unaddressed. It took a tragedy for some things to change. We are eager to partner with both PECO management and the PUC to resolve remaining issues quickly." An NTSB spokesperson told NBC10 a probable-cause determination could still be months, if not years, away. The NBC10 Investigators can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected] . This article tagged under: nbc10 investigators Pennsylvania Bucks County