The man, identified as Chang Chin-ping, was hurt only slightly by the flying manhole cover.

While walking over a manhole cover at 8:25 a.m. on his way to his parents’ home on Xiamen Street in the company of his wife, Chang was unexpectedly blown upward to a one-story high level after an explosion involving high-voltage power (20,000 volts) equipment erupted under the manhole cover. Chang then fell to the ground, his body caught afire.

Chang’s wife quickly overcame the shock of the freak accident and rushed to help extinguish the fire on her husband’s overcoat.

Chang was only slighty hurt as his heavy jacket cushioned his fall to the ground.

According to Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower), a short circuit in the high-voltage equipment under the manhole cover triggered the explosion of underground marsh gas (or methane).

The short circuit in turn was caused by the break-off of the insulator surrounding the switch of the high-voltage equipment.

Taipower has already dispatched representatives to visit Chang at the Taipei Municipal Ho Ping Hospital and is bearing all relevant medical expenses.

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