Boy is sent flying in mid-air by an exploding sewer after he lit a firecracker on a manhole cover
- The boy was playing at a residential complex in China before the blast took place
- Footage shows fire emerging from the sewer and the child was blown into the air
- He is said to have survived the incident without injuries after landing on his rear
This is the terrifying moment a young boy was catapulted into the air after he lit a firecracker on top of a sewer in China.
Security camera footage shows the manhole at a residential complex suddenly exploding and pushing the boy with strong force.
The child did not suffer serious injuries after landing on his rear, the management office of the neighbourhood said.
Security camera footage shows the manhole at a residential complex suddenly exploding and pushing the boy with strong force. He is said to have survived the incident without injuries
The incident occurred on Saturday at a residential complex in Kangle County of north-western Chinese province Gansu, according to reports.
A group of children is seen in the CCTV footage playing in the area when one of them walked towards the sewer.
The boy then squatted down and lit the firecracker on the manhole cover before the sewer suddenly exploded with flames and sent him spinning in the air.
As the explosion occurred, another two boys were seemingly startled by the noise as they started running.
The blast was so powerful that the child was catapulted about three metres (9.8 feet) into the air, reported Chinese media.
The incident occurred on Saturday at a residential complex in Kangle County of north-western Chinese province Gansu, according to reports. The boy survived the explosion unscathed
Security camera footage shows the manhole at a residential complex suddenly exploding and pushing the boy with strong force.
The young victim then fell on his rear and landed on the ground. He appeared to be unscathed as he sat up and looked around.
A staff member from the area’s management office confirmed the boy to be unhurt.
‘The child just fell, nothing serious,’ she told Chinese video platform Pear. ‘The firecracker was small. It would be problematic if it was a big one.’
Media reports did not specify the cause of the Saturday incident, but such incidents were usually caused after methane being released from the sewage was ignited by the lit firecracker, according to previous reports.
Similar incidents have occurred in China before, particularly during the Chinese New Year when people use firecrackers to celebrate.
In January, an eight-year-old boy was seriously injured after threw a lit firecracker into a manhole, igniting trapped methane.
Another Chinese boy is seen in a shocking video igniting methane under a manhole with fireworks before it exploded and threw large bricks all over the street.