Natural gas fueled the fatal Pa. chocolate factory explosion, preliminary report finds
2023/05/02
Rubble at the site of the R.M. Palmer chocolate factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania, on March 27, 2023. - Steven M. Falk/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

PHILADELPHIA — A natural gas-fueled explosion destroyed a West Reading chocolate factory building in March, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report Tuesday. Seven people were killed and 11 were injured in the R.M. Palmer blast that rocked the tight-knit borough of about 4,500 people.

The source of the likely gas leak was not laid out Tuesday, and will be a focus of the ongoing investigation, according to the NTSB report.

Still, the preliminary information laid out by investigators forms the clearest picture of what happened the day of the explosion, just 65 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

According to investigators, 35 office staff and 70 production employees were working in two R.M. Palmer buildings that shared a block with an apartment building.

Employees from “Building 2,” which was flanked by an apartment building and another Palmer building, told investigators they smelled natural gas before the blast. Employees from the building next door said they smelled rotten eggs.

The explosion occurred shortly before 5 p.m., destroying Building 2 and causing “significant structural damage” to the Palmer building next door. Three families in the neighboring apartment building were displaced as a result of the explosion.

UGI Corporation serviced the Palmer buildings with natural gas coming through two mains adjacent to the accident site, but reported that there had been no known work in the area, nor a pressure spike in gas use ahead of the explosion.

In a statement, the company said it supports the ongoing investigation.

“We remain focused on providing accurate, timely and comprehensive information to the NTSB to assist them in analyzing and understanding the events of that day,” read the statement.

Employee interviews collected by NTSB investigators echo claims made in news reports and in a lawsuit against Palmer and UGI in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

“The gas leak at the factory and the horrific explosion it caused was foreseeable, predictable, and preventable,” reads the wrongful death suit filed by a family member of one of the victims.

The suit alleges workers reported a natural gas smell to the company to no avail.

Six of the people killed in the blast are believed to have died from blast injuries, according to the Berks County Coroner’s Office. Investigators believe the seventh victim died from thermal burns. Their ages ranged from 30 to 63.

The rest of the investigation and final report could take up to 24 months to complete and will also focus on “related industry practices and federal regulations.”

With the NTSB no longer needing access to the explosion site, West Reading officials said the Palmer properties and others on the block will return to their respective owners, who will be responsible for clean-up efforts.