Dimapur | May 19 : May 18, was like any other day in dusty and raucous Dimapur. Only the usual dust and noise was interrupted by two unexplained, yet two very audible explosions coming in rapid succession in the late morning hours; followed by shock waves. It was heard all across town, even from Chumukedima and beyond the state border in Karbi Anglong, leaving many a people baffled - including the police, the administrative set up and the military intelligence agencies.
A day after, still, speculation is rife on what could have possibly caused the ‘booms’. The theories range from exploding LPG cylinders, power distribution transformers and even bombs. The explanations, however, all defies known logic. Blasts from LPG cylinders and power transformers cannot produce sound and shock waves of such magnitude, as could be felt over a wide area. And detonating bombs, or for that matter, any kind of explosion will leave behind evidence, if it did occur.
It was not the first time such explosions were heard in Dimapur this year. Around March, this year, similar high intensity sounds were heard over Dimapur on two occasions, separated by a few days.
One plausible explanation points to ‘sonic booms’ generated by (fighter) aircrafts travelling at supersonic speed. For layman understanding it is defined as: “the sound associated with the shock waves created by the supersonic flight of an aircraft… generating enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding much like an explosion.”
Intelligence sources from the military suggested such a possibility, on the premise that the Indian Air Force has a number of bases spread across nearby Assam. One thing is certain though. The sounds did not originate from land or underground. Without specifically mentioning supersonic aircrafts, the sources averred: “It was something from the air.”
To advance the aforementioned basis, let’s take a look at what kind of aircraft could have possibly caused the ‘booms’? Supersonic jets, maybe. For the record, the IAF had recently inducted Sukhoi-30 supersonic fighter aircrafts at Chabua base in Dibrugarh, Assam. Not far from here ‘as the crow flies’. It was around the first week of March. Call it serendipity or not - the first two booming sounds, abovementioned in this hypothetical report, were heard about the same period.
The sources said that the highly maneuverable Sukhoi crafts are known to fly at even low altitudes at speeds beyond Mach 1 – the threshold regarded by experts when flying objects or jet aircrafts cross or reach the speed of sound. High intensity sound waves are released when this barrier is crossed. According to websites dealing with the subject, there have been no documented instances of human casualty or damage to man-made structures resulting from ‘sonic booms’.
The sources further said that if the ‘booms’ had originated from land in the form of an explosion - the police, the intelligence agencies, oil companies and even the public could have got some hints and evidences by now. Even the Assam media could have picked up something by now, if there was such a blast on land. Sources at “our” disposal were reached to find out the origin of the sound but no credible evidence could be gathered suggesting an on land explosion, it added.
On the possibility of it occurring underground, the sources downplayed such an occurrence. If it was an underground explosion, there could have been some kind of disturbance over ground.
DISCLAIMER: The account is based on guesswork and inputs from reliable sources. All the assumptions mentioned here should not be taken as the fact. Readers’ prudence is advised.
A day after, still, speculation is rife on what could have possibly caused the ‘booms’. The theories range from exploding LPG cylinders, power distribution transformers and even bombs. The explanations, however, all defies known logic. Blasts from LPG cylinders and power transformers cannot produce sound and shock waves of such magnitude, as could be felt over a wide area. And detonating bombs, or for that matter, any kind of explosion will leave behind evidence, if it did occur.
It was not the first time such explosions were heard in Dimapur this year. Around March, this year, similar high intensity sounds were heard over Dimapur on two occasions, separated by a few days.
One plausible explanation points to ‘sonic booms’ generated by (fighter) aircrafts travelling at supersonic speed. For layman understanding it is defined as: “the sound associated with the shock waves created by the supersonic flight of an aircraft… generating enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding much like an explosion.”
Intelligence sources from the military suggested such a possibility, on the premise that the Indian Air Force has a number of bases spread across nearby Assam. One thing is certain though. The sounds did not originate from land or underground. Without specifically mentioning supersonic aircrafts, the sources averred: “It was something from the air.”
To advance the aforementioned basis, let’s take a look at what kind of aircraft could have possibly caused the ‘booms’? Supersonic jets, maybe. For the record, the IAF had recently inducted Sukhoi-30 supersonic fighter aircrafts at Chabua base in Dibrugarh, Assam. Not far from here ‘as the crow flies’. It was around the first week of March. Call it serendipity or not - the first two booming sounds, abovementioned in this hypothetical report, were heard about the same period.
The sources said that the highly maneuverable Sukhoi crafts are known to fly at even low altitudes at speeds beyond Mach 1 – the threshold regarded by experts when flying objects or jet aircrafts cross or reach the speed of sound. High intensity sound waves are released when this barrier is crossed. According to websites dealing with the subject, there have been no documented instances of human casualty or damage to man-made structures resulting from ‘sonic booms’.
The sources further said that if the ‘booms’ had originated from land in the form of an explosion - the police, the intelligence agencies, oil companies and even the public could have got some hints and evidences by now. Even the Assam media could have picked up something by now, if there was such a blast on land. Sources at “our” disposal were reached to find out the origin of the sound but no credible evidence could be gathered suggesting an on land explosion, it added.
On the possibility of it occurring underground, the sources downplayed such an occurrence. If it was an underground explosion, there could have been some kind of disturbance over ground.
DISCLAIMER: The account is based on guesswork and inputs from reliable sources. All the assumptions mentioned here should not be taken as the fact. Readers’ prudence is advised.
