WEST READING, Pa.—Rod Stout, a retired Air Force and sheet metal worker, lives close to R.M. Palmer building, a chocolate factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania, that exploded Friday afternoon around 5 pm. On Saturday afternoon, he told The Epoch Times near his house: “It was the biggest explosion that I ever heard in my life.”
Five people were killed, and two people are still missing after the devastating explosion Friday afternoon at R.M. Palmer, as West Reading Borough Council President Ryan Lineaweaver said Sunday afternoon.
R.M. Palmer building, a chocolate factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania, exploded Friday afternoon. The first responders were on site, on March 25, 2023. (William Huang/The Epoch Times)“At first, I thought the train came off the railroad track and hit the ground. But then I looked out the window, and I saw the debris on the road from the building and the building was just gone,” said Scout.
“I was shook up! I called my kids in and (called) my brother right away to let him know everybody was okay. Because my dad lives on the first floor. And I live on the second floor. And I let everybody know we were okay.”
Scout said he did not come out after the explosion, “I just looked out my window and saw what was going on. Within a few minutes, the fire trucks were here and had everything blocked off. I just stayed up there and looked out the window from time to time.”
Rod Stout, a neighbor of R.M. Palmer building, on March 25, 2023. (William Huang/The Epoch Times)Scout said he was scared afterward: “I was pretty shook up for a little bit, thinking, wow, our whole building could have gone, if it would have been a little closer to our building, [our home] could have been gone from the debris hitting and everything. So I was glad that we were this far away.”
Officials say the cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
“I assumed it was a gas leak that caused it. I don’t know where the sparks came from. But it was pretty bad, shook the whole building,” Scout said, adding that he hopes nothing like this happens again. “I think we need to have a little bit more safety if it was a gas leak that caused that.”
The Berks County Community Foundation and United Way of Berks County announced the creation of the West Reading Disaster Relief Fund to help those affected by the fatal explosion. People can donate at bccf.org.
Some in the community have donated food and drinks to the onsite rescue staff.
Victor Pytleski, the owner of 3rd & Spruce Drafthaus, a nearby restaurant, donated some pizza, bread, shepherd’s pie, and water to those first responders.
“We came down to bring some hot food, do whatever we can to help them get through the day. It’s not a lot, but it’s what we can do,” Pytlesk told The Epoch Times on Saturday afternoon.
“It was a concern for people in the community. A lot of people here come to our restaurants, and we know them, so, you know, it’s scary,” said Pytlesk.
“It was loud and frightening, obviously. But we didn’t know what it was, until we saw stuff on the news later.”
Victor Pytleski, the owner of 3rd & Spruce Drafthaus, a nearby restaurant of R.M. Palmer building, donated food and drinks to first responders, on March 25, 2023. (William Huang/The Epoch Times)Pytlesk said he’d heard about tragedies in other cities and felt sorry for those involved, “but when it happens in your own community, it’s different. It is harder.” He said some of their family and friends come to his restaurants.
“We care about them, we care about the community, and it’s a strong community,” he said. “People pull together and do what they can to help these folks out.
Alex Diaz-Cruz, the chef of 3rd & Spruce Drafthaus, came together with Pytleski and said: “We just wanted to make sure these people are taken care of. They’re trying to rescue people, trying to do the right thing.”
Diaz-Cruz said he did not hear the explosion and was inside working. “One of our bartenders came out and said, ‘Hey, something blew up, like something’s on fire. We should check this out.’ So we came up.”
He said the candy factory has been a part of the community for a long time. “It was something that we’d never seen before. So it’s wild.”
Alex Diaz-Cruz, the chef of 3rd & Spruce Drafthaus, donated food and drinks to first responders, on March 25, 2023. (William Huang/The Epoch Times)“It’s a tragedy. I hope that the people will be taken care of. I feel safe around here. There is nothing like this ever happening around here. It’s weird.”
R.M. Palmer Company’s website says it has made chocolate novelties for over 70 years and now has 850 employees. It is one of America’s largest and most innovative confectioners.
A crisis number has been established for anyone who needs help. That number is 610-374-5224, extension 529.