A woman was killed and two others were injured when three rowhomes collapsed during an explosion early Sunday morning in Nicetown, authorities said.
Firefighters responded just after 4:45 a.m. to the blast, which occurred on the 1900 block of W. Bristol Street, near Clarissa Street.
There was no word on what caused the explosion. As Philadelphia Gas Works crews dug to shut off utility service, a Philadelphia Fire Department commander told Metro that an investigation would likely not be able to pinpoint an origin until Monday.
The process was proceeding slowly and with caution to avoid the possibility of a secondary collapse, fire officials said.
A neighbor identified the deceased victim as Marci Stroman, a middle-aged woman who lived with her mother, also hurt in the incident. Stroman’s sister lives on the block and operates Porch Kitty Manor, a nonprofit that cares for local cats and aids low-income pet owners.
Multiple news outlets reported that the hospitalized victims are 62 and 82 years old. One was listed in critical condition, while the other was being treated for nonlife-threatening injuries, PFD leaders said.
A search-and-rescue dog located Stroman’s body. Assistant Fire Chief Charles Walker told reporters that he was confident no one else was in the rubble because the canine did not detect anything else.
Joanne McQueen lives a couple of doors away from the epicenter of the blast.
“I woke up. It sounded like a bomb went off,” she told Metro. “I screamed, and then my kid ran to me.”
The explosion shattered a window in her house, dislodged curtains and knocked items off the wall. McQueen recalled going outside before firefighters arrived and seeing Stroman’s mother suffering from an injury to her hand.
“It was just horrific, just terrifying to think this could happen,” McQueen added.
On Saturday night, McQueen thought she smelled gas in the air. But no one else caught a whiff of it and the smell dissipated. “I was worried. Maybe the air just blew the smell away.”
Many residents suspect the explosion is gas-related. PGW, in a statement Sunday, noted that the Fire Marshal’s Office has not determined a cause. “PGW is assisting in the investigation along with other agencies,” the company added.
A foul, burnt smell hung in the air early Sunday afternoon, and bricks, wood, broken glass and other debris littered the road. Several other homes appeared to sustain damage, including shattered windows, and crews pumped water from the basement of a nearby property.
Neighbors were told not to return to their homes but were later permitted to enter to gather belongings. McQueen was packing up to stay with family.
The city’s Office of Emergency Management and the Red Cross opened a reception center for affected residents at the nearby Edward Steel School. Mayor Cherelle Parker visited the site Sunday to meet with those impacted.
