Sewer Explodes When Boy Drops Lit Match Through Manhole Cover

Video released this week shows a dramatic explosion that sent manhole covers into the air after a boy dropped a lit match into the sewer.

Sewer Explosion

A boy in Luoyang, China dropped a lit match into the sewer, sparking an explosion that sent several manhole covers flying into the air. Pedestrians nearby fled from the blast.

The boy suffered a leg injury after a nearby manhole cover flew into the air and knocked him over.

The full video shows the street which contains two rows of manhole covers, and slight damage to one of them.

Other Manhole Cover Videos

In 2015, a similar incident was reported when a group of six mischievous kids were lighting firecrackers, when one decided to toss one into the manhole cover below them. Video of that explosion went viral as well.

The video below shows a man who threw a firecracker into a manhole cover back in 2012 and was blown back several feet.

During the 2015 interview below, an underground explosion caused a nearby manhole cover to fly high into the air (at the 18-second mark).

In the case of the lit match in China or the firecracker videos, a burning object tossed into the sewer can ignite sewer gasses, causing an explosion. In both cases, those involved were fortunate to escape serious injury.