China: Boy launched into the air by exploding manhole cover

An exploding manhole cover launched a boy into the air on 9 February after he threw a lit firecracker into a sewer and triggered a blast in central China's Henan Province.

Surveillance video at a residential community in Shangqiu city shows the boy, accompanied by an adult and two younger children, tossing two lit firecrackers into the manhole and seconds later being blasted about two metres into the air. Two manhole covers were launched more than three metres high.

Bao Yiming, who witnessed the accident and is a member of the community's security staff, recalled the explosion.

"The three manholes were all next to the boy and it was a very serious explosion. The boy lay down here," said Bao. "The boy stood up after a few minutes. His leg had a flesh wound and he had a little bruise on the right side of his face."

The three manholes affected by the accident have been repaired, according to management staff in the community.