A Pennsylvania hospital quickly dispelled social media rumors that it experienced a huge explosion July 23 — but not before dozens of people shared the post.
A Facebook group that reports police and fire scanner traffic in central Pennsylvania posted July 23 that Penn Highlands State College (Pa.) hospital had a "Large explosion on the second floor- Building now full of smoke and now no power." More than 80 people commented on the post with messages like "Prayers" or praying emojis, while over 200 individuals shared it.
"On Tuesday, July 23, 2024 at approximately 11:00 PM at Penn Highlands State College, a 225 amp breaker malfunctioned," the hospital's official Facebook page wrote on the group's post within a day (but not before dozens of people had already commented). "All patients and staff are safe. The building is fully operational and continues to care for the Centre County community."
The incident shows another facet of social media that hospital and health system public relations and marketing teams have to contend with, as Facebook groups that post about emergencies by listening to police and fire scanners are prevalent nationwide.
A Penn Highlands spokesperson told WPSU for a July 24 story that a wire connected to the amp's circuit breaker malfunctioned and made a spark sound, leading someone in the hospital to call 911; a fire crew checked the wire and promptly left since there was no fire. The spokesperson said most people in the hospital were unaware anything had happened.