WATCH: Shocking video shows moment manhole cover explodes in Worcester

WORCESTER, Mass. — Shocking video shows the moment a manhole exploded in Worcester over the weekend, narrowly avoiding cars.

Worcester firefighters responded to the area near Grafton Street and Franklin Street Saturday night to find two manholes smoking. One of the manholes then exploded, launching the cover high into the air.

Video sent to Boston 25 News captured the moment the manhole exploded with a large cloud of steam or smoke arching high into the air.

Marc Guinette owns MB Lounge across the street and spoke with the woman who was in that car with her grandchild.

“She was devastated and quite scared,” said Guinette. “She’s very lucky actually everybody’s very, very lucky that was an area that could have maimed, killed it’s just devastating to watch the video.”

“It’s a miracle that manhole cover didn’t hit her, it flew 100 feet in the air,” said Nick Neslusin, a bartender at MB Lounge.

Neslusin was getting the bar ready to open Saturday when the explosion happened.

“I was up on the steps shoveling and it sounded like artillery hit, everything shook kinda dropped a little and then I went out through the emergency exit door to look over and the fire truck was there, crowd was starting to form already, I heard like a second after the boom some ting or rattle against the ground,” said Neslusin.

That rattling is the cover hitting the ground after not one but two manholes exploded with a fire truck right in between.

This all happened in the middle of the busy intersection of Grafton and Franklin Streets.

“All those firefighters were around there, thank God they’re all safe because it was a busy street,” said Neslusin.

Worcester fire crews were already on scene responding to smoke coming from two manholes when the explosion happened.

The fire department says there was a fire burning in one of the manholes, but it went out on its own.

“I was shocked and I was thankful that nobody got hurt,” said Guinette.

Luckily no one was injured.

The fire department says the cause of this explosion is still under investigation.

Shocking video shows moment manhole cover exploded in Worcester (MB Lounge)

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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