A woman who worked on the second floor of the factory was discovered alive in the basement between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. She was found after rescue workers shouted, “This is the fire department, is anyone there?” Having spent approximately eight hours under the debris, she was taken to the hospital, but her current condition and identity remain undisclosed.
Rescue operations are ongoing, employing specialized equipment and techniques, including dogs and imaging devices, to detect signs of life while cautiously removing rubble. The names of the deceased have not been revealed.
Tower Health reported on Saturday that Reading Hospital received a total of 10 patients. “One was transferred to Lehigh Valley Hospital, one to Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center, two have been admitted and are in good and fair condition, and the others have been discharged,” stated the health system.
Garry Witmoyer from Wyomissing and his son, Garry Witmoyer Jr., were among the first to hear the explosion. Garry Sr. recalled, “I didn’t know what to think. I just came running out and saw that mess over there. I think it was a gas explosion, the way it sounded.” His son added, “I didn’t see flames at first, just a bunch of shingles and materials falling from the sky. I knew it was an explosion.”
