A routine walk turned dangerous for a New York woman and her two grandchildren when a manhole cover exploded just steps behind them in Poughkeepsie. The incident was captured on surveillance video, showing the family—later identified by ABC News as Lisa Davis and her grandchildren—walking along the sidewalk of Academy Street shortly before the explosion occurred around 1:30 p.m. ET last Saturday. The video shows the family fleeing from the blast, as reported by USA Today.
The Poughkeepsie Fire Department released the video along with a statement outlining the series of events, noting that "two manholes exploded in the area but, thankfully, no one was hurt." A post accompanying the video further explained that "A manhole halfway down the block as well as another on the corner of Academy and Church Streets had also exploded very narrowly missing three pedestrians," as per reports by CBS News. The second explosion, which occurred near the family, saw debris flying directly in their path, had they been seconds slower.
Alongside the video, photographs published by the Poughkeepsie Fire Department showcased the extensive damage to the sidewalk around the manhole covers. Notably, several cars parked along the street appeared unscathed, despite the intensity of the explosions.
Following the blasts, high levels of carbon monoxide were detected in multiple buildings lining the block, leading to an evacuation of the area. The fire department asserted in their social media post that the block was cleared "until the gas levels could be mitigated." The exact cause of the manhole explosions has yet to be determined, but officials have stated that investigations are expected to continue over the hours following the incident.
