Man causes mini avalanche by opening door

A man in Russia had a lucky escape when he dodged a giant sheet of ice that fell and smashed his car.

Security video in a neighbourhood of Vorenezh, in southwestern Russia, showed Grigoriy Kovalev opening the driver door when he looks up to see a giant pack of ice tumbling down.

Quick reactions save him as he and a passer-by raise their arms for protection, with the packed ice missing them by only centimetres, reports tv-gubernia.ru.

"It all happened when I tried to leave the court and push the button to open the metal door opened," said Kovalev.

He explained how the noise of the door created a mini avalanche causing snow and ice to fall from the roof.

Unfortunately his Skoda saloon car was not so lucky. The vehicle took the full brunt of the tumbling ice and had its windows smashed and body work crumpled by the impact.

Residents from Vorenezh have demanded authorities clear snow and ice from the rooves of residential and commercial buildings, local media reported.