Residents and passersby in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward got a fright Sunday afternoon after 49 manhole covers were blown up into the air by what police believe was a gasoline explosion.

According to police, the manhole covers started blowing at around 3:30 p.m. in the residential district of Yutakacho. TV Asahi reported that every manhole cover for 200 meters was blown off.

Media reported that a 19-year-old man accidentally spilled about 10 liters of gasoline into the drainage ditch while working on his motorbike. Police believe the gasoline was somehow ignited and then exploded creating a force powerful enough to lift the heavy manhole covers off the ground.

An eyewitness told reporters that the sight was unbelievable, like something out of a movie.

© Japan Today