China’s Wuhan has an underground explosion in the city center

A suspected sewer gas explosion in Wuhan, China, caused a road to collapse beneath workers and passersby, injuring at least four people.

Traffic cameras fully captured the terrifying moment. A column of fire suddenly erupted from the manhole, rushing past a man on a motorcycle and rising several meters above the surface of the road. Two workers and the motorcyclist were taken to the hospital with burns and injuries.

A statement from the district office said the explosion was not caused by a natural gas leak. The possibility was ruled out by city inspectors dispatched by the local utility company.

Authorities say the incident was related to a suspected build-up of methane gas in a sewer. The two workers at the epicenter of the explosion were performing maintenance work on underground water mains. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the explosion.