6 days ago
City of Philadelphia to hold town hall, resource event for residents affected by deadly Nicetown explosion
The city of Philadelphia will hold a community town hall and resource event for Nicetown residents who were affected by last month's gas explosion that left one person dead and two others injured.
The event will be on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Edward T. Steel Elementary School on Wayne Avenue. The Philadelphia Fire Department, Philadelphia Gas Works, Philadelphia Licenses & Inspections, Pennsylvania Insurance Department and other agencies will be at the auditorium of the school to provide resources and answer questions from residents. The explosion temporarily displaced more than 100 people in the area.
The explosion happened just before 5 a.m. on June 29 on the 1900 block of Bristol Street. It collapsed three homes and damaged several other properties in the area.
Two women were injured in the explosion and rescued by first responders, while another died. A spokesperson for Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson confirmed that one of the injured victims works for Johnson.
The Philadelphia Fire Department Fire Marshal's Office and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission determined that it was a gas explosion, but the city said the exact cause and origin remain unclear.
L&I has demolished five properties in the area since the explosion.
The city said PGW conducted a survey of the natural gas infrastructure in the area and outside each property. The survey showed there was no indication of "an underground natural gas leak in the area."
According to the city, PGW didn't receive any calls reporting gas odors in the area before the explosion.
