A manhole exploded underneath an occupied New York City MTA bus, sending the nearly 300-pound iron plate cover up through the floor of the bus and hitting a passenger sitting on the bus Tuesday.
The woman, Josephina Guzman, was on the BX11 bus heading down West 170th Street in the Bronx on her way to a doctor's appointment when the bus stopped at a light, she told NBC 4 New York through a translator in an exclusive interview Thursday.
Suddenly the manhole cover underneath the bus exploded and pierced the floor of the bus, slamming into her leg.
"She thought one of the tires exploded," said Guzman's friend, translating for her. "She wasn't expecting that."
A photo shows how the iron plate ripped through bus floor, splintering the wood.
Guzman, who recently had hip surgery and was on her way to a follow-up, received bruises to her leg and a swollen ankle. She got an X-ray hours after the freak accident, and she was told there was no fracture, but she said she's suffering pain in her foot. She is getting around with a walker.
It's not clear what caused the manhole explosion. A message has been left with the Department of Environmental Protection.
Local
MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said in a statement, "We are thankful that no one was seriously injured."
