GRAPHIC VIDEO: Man Survives Sidewalk Explosion in NYC 27 Jul 2021 An underground explosion on a Queens sidewalk sent flames into the air and injured a man standing nearby, according to video footage from NBC New York. Barry West was walking on Farmers Boulevard in St. Albans at approximately 5:30 p.m. Thursday, on his way to pay a cellphone bill when the incident occurred, the outlet reported Tuesday. The blast knocked the 57-year-old dad to the ground, but he managed to escape before being burned even more. Moments before, the video shows smoke coming from the grate as West walked past. After the explosion, he grabbed hold of a nearby fence and pulled himself up off the pavement.