Children cause a sewer explosion with firecrackers, but they survive
Authorities express concern about the increasing frequency of similar events
Three children in Bazhong City, Sichuan Province, China, set off firecrackers on New Year's Eve, causing an explosion in a sewer. Although the incident caused several manhole covers to blow off and left one person with scratches, the miracle is that everyone involved is alive.
The incident occurred around 12 noon on February 8, when three curious children threw lit firecrackers into a sewer on the sidewalk in front of the Shui'an Yaju community in Jinbao New District, Pingchang County.
The resulting explosion tossed eight trench covers and left one of the children unconscious, who was quickly rescued by bystanders and sent to the hospital. Fortunately, his injuries, while not life-threatening, are limited to scratches.
The sewers in the area are connected to the septic tank, and the fermentation of waste inside produces biogas, mainly methane, a flammable gas. The explosion was triggered when one of the lit firecrackers came into contact with the biogas accumulated in the sewer.
Similar games of throwing firecrackers into sewers have become more common and have resulted in explosions. They fear that if this trend continues, there could be future tragedies.
