Caught on Cam: Poughkeepsie Woman and Kids Cheat Death by Seconds

Shocking footage shows just how close a Poughkeepsie, New York woman and her two young children were to exploding in a violent blast.

A family is holding each other a bit closer this week after nearly becoming the victims of a freak accident. On Saturday at 1:30pm, there was a series of explosions that occurred across the City of Poughkeepsie. Manhole covers and chunks of concrete were tossed into the air, sending heavy debris and pieces of metal onto sidewalks and streets.

Images from the City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department show just how violent the blasts were.

A mother and her two children were captured by security cameras on Saturday as they narrowly escaped one of the violent blasts. Footage shows the family walking down Academy Street between Church and Cannon just seconds before the explosion occurred. The mother was pushing a stroller while her other child walked beside her. As they passed a section of sidewalk with a manhole cover, the entire slab erupted in a huge explosion.

Concrete flew at least eight feet into the air in the exact spot where the family had just been walking seconds ago. The chunks of sidewalk and square metal manhole cover crashed back down onto the sidewalk as the family ran for cover.

According to the City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department, another manhole on the corner of Academy and Church Streets also exploded. While it's unclear exactly what happened, high levels of carbon monoxide were detected under the street and in several buildings in the area.

Occupants of the block were evacuated and the street was closed as the buildings were ventilated. Central Hudson was called to further investigate the scene.

Thankfully, there were no reported injuries.