This is the moment friends sitting around a campfire get the shock of their lives as the ground explodes in their faces and sends fiery chunks of concrete debris in all directions.

The footage shows the friends sitting around the campfire when it – and according to local media, the concrete ground itself – suddenly explodes in a shower of debris and sparks, with the friends scattering in terror. Concrete can reportedly explode when exposed to high temperatures.

The incident took place in front of an unnamed shop located in the city of Nanning, which is the capital city of the the southern, coastal Chinese province of Guangxi, on the evening of Saturday 18th December.

The footage, which shows chunks of charred and glowing debris strewn all over, was shared online by one of the friends, who has been named as Mr Su in local media, and it quickly made the rounds on Chinese social media.

Local media outlets reported that “the concrete ground suddenly exploded” while the seven friends were sitting on low chairs in a circle in front of a shop after having made the campfire.

A second video shows the charred spot of concrete ground where the campfire had been as it still smoulders, with wisps of smoke rising into the air, following the explosion.

No one among the group of seven friends, which appeared to include five boys and two girls, was seriously injured, according to local media. It is currently unclear if the police are investigating the incident.