NEARBY: 2 Dead, 19 Injured In Lower Bucks County Nursing Home Explosion

Officials late Wednesday morning revised the death toll to two after a massive explosion at a Bristol Township nursing home.

Authorities explained that one person initially believed to be dead was resuscitated at a local hospital, and officials were alerted to it several hours later. Previously, officials had said the death toll was at three.

The Tuesday afternoon blast at the Silver Lake Nursing Home and Bristol Health and Rehab Center killed one employee and one resident, both women.

Bristol Township Chief of Police C.J. Winik said 19 others remain hospitalized, including at least one person in critical condition.

Bucks County Coroner Patti Campi identified the deceased staff member as Muthoni Nduthu, 52, of Bristol, a certified nursing assistant.

The resident was pronounced dead at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital in Philadelphia.

Her identity has not been released pending notification by the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office, which continues to investigate, a city spokesperson said.

The explosion occurred around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday at the facility on Tower Road.

While the cause remains under investigation, Gov. Josh Shapiro noted Tuesday that preliminary findings suggest a gas leak.

PECO spokesperson Greg Smore confirmed Wednesday that crews were called to the facility to investigate reports of a gas odor hours before the blast.

In a statement, the utility company said it shut off services to the area following the explosion but added it is not yet known if PECO equipment or natural gas were involved.

“Our hearts and our thoughts and prayers go out to those families at this time of the year,” Winik said during the Wednesday press briefing.

PHOTOS: Nursing Home Explodes, Multiple People Killed & Injured

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading a multi-agency probe that includes the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; OSHA; the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission; and local fire and police investigators.

The NTSB, which handles natural gas pipeline safety, said they are investigating the incident, which occurred after “reports of a natural gas leak.”

Peter C. Knudson, an NTSB spokesperson, said investigators won’t be able to fully look at the natural gas service line to the nursing home until a safe pathway is cleared, which could take days. The pipeline is below the ground.

NTSB investigators will look at human factors, the pipeline system, and the operating environment as part of their probe.

Witnesses to the explosion or anyone with video or images has been asked to contact witness@ntsb.gov.

Bristol Township Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Coordinator Kevin Dippolito said the investigation is a “methodical process” involving heavy machinery to excavate a collapsed section of the building that housed the kitchen, cafeteria, and utility rooms.

“Until we excavate that area and remove the walls and roofs that collapsed, we won’t have any idea what may have occurred in there,” Dippolito said.

In the minutes after the blast, the scene smelled of natural gas and smoke.

Dippolito said the township’s fire services had no recent record of gas odor complaints from the facility. The only incidents he was aware of were for routine fire alarm activations and medical assistance calls.

The facility was recently acquired by Ohio-based Saber Healthcare Group and was housing approximately 120 residents at the time of the incident.

All residents and staff have since been accounted for.

Displaced residents have been moved to two other Saber-operated facilities, Winik said.

Bucks County officials asked family members seeking information about their loved ones who may have been at the nursing home to call 888-878-5889.

‘I’m Praying Hard’: Witnesses Recount Harrowing Moments After Blast

Leadership officials from Saber Healthcare Group were on the scene Wednesday afternoon, but the company did not offer a statement on the explosion.

Through Christmas Eve, officials hoped to continue investigating, establish a fence around the damaged property, turn parts of the site back over to the company operating it.

Winik praised the heroic response from neighbors, emergency responders, and nearby Lower Bucks Hospital staff.

The chief added he saw responders who continued entering the damaged building despite dangers to rescue residents who could not evacuate on their own.

“I’ve never seen such heroism. They were running into a building that I could from 50 feet away could still smell gas and walls that looked like they were going to fall down,” Winik said. “They were still going in the building to recover the people. They couldn’t walk. They were in wheelchairs. Some people couldn’t talk.”

The explosion, ensuing fire, and rescue mission drew hundreds of personnel from police, fire, and EMS services around Bucks County. Additional crews responded from Burlington County (New Jersey), Mercer County (New Jersey), Montgomery County, Philadelphia County, and beyond.

Bristol Township declared a disaster emergency to bring in additional specialized resources, including local, regional, and state building-collapse rescue crews with their specialized equipment for building stabilization and debris removal.

“Bristol Township is one of those types of communities where we all come together,” Winik said. “Everybody recognizes we had a problem. There’s a lot of people at risk.”

Reporter Christina Kristofic contributed to this story.