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Sonic boom causes panic in Gujarat

By Our Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD SEPT. 22. The sound "created by mysterious blasts" led to a scare here and other parts of the State this morning. Doors and windowpanes in many houses shook violently, leading everybody to believe that there was an explosion in the vicinity.

Vehicular traffic was disrupted for sometime and parents rushed to schools to pick up their children following rumours of bombs blasts in schools in the old city area.

While rumours did the rounds, private television news channels added to the confusion with early reports of "bomb blasts". The scare later gave way to fear of "earthquake-type underground movement" as reports started pouring in from different parts of the city of blast-like noises. The Relief Commissioner of the State Government, Pankaj Kumar, clarified that the noise was caused by sonic boom as some jet fighter planes of the IAF on routine sorties crossed the sound barrier at low altitude.

PTI reports: An IAF spokesperson said that the sonic boom was caused by a MiG-21 on a sortie from Rajasthan to Gujarat.. It was "planned profile" by the IAF and there was no reason to panic, he added.

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