Fresh details have emerged on the condition of a US nursing home following the death of a Kenyan nurse, Muthoni Nduthu, who was among the casualties who died from a gas explosion at the facility in Bristol Township, Pennsylvania, United States.
New records indicate that the facility had previously been flagged for serious safety concerns, including the lack of a fire safety plan, failure to maintain fire extinguishers, and hallways and doors that were unable to contain smoke properly.
However, according to Medicare.gov, the nursing home underwent a standard fire safety inspection in September 2024 and was not cited for any violations at the time of the inspection. Despite this, Medicare lists the facility’s overall rating as “much below average,” with abysmal scores in health inspections.
The facility recorded over 200 complaints for various reasons, including abuse, neglect and exploitation, with most complainants giving the facility a below-average performance in the past three years.
Inspections also flagged substandard healthcare, poor infection control, and mismanaged medical records, earning the facility a one-star rating. Records show that in 2024, the facility was fined more than Ksh53 million due to repeated health violations.
The late Nduthu was among two people killed after a suspected natural gas explosion triggered a fire at the Bristol Township Health and Rehabilitation Centre on Tuesday, December 23. The blast caused a partial collapse of the 174-bed facility, sparking panic as residents and staff scrambled to evacuate.
Authorities say the explosion is believed to have been caused by a natural gas leak, injuring at least 20 people, several of them critically.
Police also confirmed that a second explosion occurred as firefighters were conducting rescue operations, complicating the response and ultimately leading to the death of the Kenyan nurse.
52-year-old Nduthu had emigrated from Mombasa to the Philadelphia area about two decades ago and earned her nursing degree from a college in New Jersey.
She has been described as devout catholic, hardworking and committed to her loved ones. She has left behind three children, all sons and a granddaughter.
Following her death, the Kenyan Nurses Association in the United States and back in Kenya is calling for accountability and justice. At the same time, a GoFundMe account has since been set up to assist in the repatriation of her body back to Kenya. At the time of publication of this article, the fundraiser had accrued more than Ksh1.1 million.
It remains unclear whether the fire safety measures were addressed before the explosion, with authorities advancing investigations to determine the main cause of the explosion that has left families grieving during the festive season.
