A woman and her two children got a nasty shock on Monday when a manhole exploded just moments after they walked over it.
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The City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department released
a statement, including shocking footage of the incident. Firefighters responded to reports of a manhole explosion on Monday afternoon at around 1:34 PM, with potential casualties. Another manhole down the block also reportedly exploded. One of the manholes on the corner of Academy and Church Streets very narrowly missed three pedestrians when it exploded.Shocking footage from a camera mounted on the opposite side of the road shows a family escaping the explosion with mere seconds to spare. A woman is walking down the path, pushing a stroller with another child by her side. She takes just two steps before the manhole explodes behind her, throwing large pavement slabs in every direction. The family runs away, miraculously unharmed.
What Caused The Manhole To Explode?
The precise reason for the explosion remains unclear, although the Fire Department points to carbon monoxide. The statement reads, 'Companies found high levels of carbon monoxide in multiple buildings, and the occupants of all the buildings on that block were evacuated until the gas levels could be mitigated.'
According to a report by ABC7, the woman in the footage is Lisa Davis. She was walking back from an Easter Egg hunt with her grandchildren at the time. She told the outlet, "I didn't know what to do except grab my grandson and run." Davis also explained that she didn't know where to go as the manhole in front of her also exploded. After seeing the footage for herself, Davis said, "A foot, one foot of losing my family."
Earlier this month, a woman was found under a manhole in an underground storm drain system. Her family reported her missing days before. It's unclear how she got into the drain system, but firefighters believe she may have been down there for over a week.
During an interview, San Diego Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Erik Windsor called the situation "very unusual," adding, "[It's] Obviously not a place that is designed for human inhabitants." Emergency services freed her and transported her to a local hospital, but she died shortly after arriving.
