China: This really is a close shave with death – for a man who was showing off to two young children.

The incident happened in in Xiangtan, China, recently and left local officials scurrying to the scene – as well as the man picking up the pieces of his shredded jacket.

It is believed the man’s firework in to manhole stunt backfired, literally, when his firecracker hit a pocket of methane gas from the local network of sewers.

The blast sends the manhole cover hurtling past the man and it lands on the front of a nearby building, crashing down through an awning.

Just seconds earlier the children had been jumping on the cover – but had the good sense to back off as the man set off his firework.

Camera one captures the full force of the blast – showing the deadly power of a gas explosion.

Camera two shows the cover crashing back to earth.