Mysterious Explosions Heard In Bengaluru. Was It A Plane? Nobody Knows For Sure

UPDATE: The mysterious "boom" heard in large parts of Bengaluru was infact the sonic boom of a test aircraft according to the Defence Ministry.

"It was a routine IAF Test Flight involving a supersonic profile which took off from Bluru Airport and flew in the allotted airspace well outside City limits. The aircraft was of Aircraft Systems and Testing Establishment (ASTE)," the Defence Ministry tweeted. "¡­The sonic boom was probably heard while the aircraft was decelerating from supersonic to subsonic speed between 36,000 and 40000 feet altitude," it said.

#Update
It was a routine IAF Test Flight involving a supersonic profile which took off from Bluru Airport and flew in the allotted airspace well outside City limits. The aircraft was of Aircraft Systems and Testing Establishment (ASTE) @IAF_MCC @SpokespersonMoD

¡ª PRO Bengaluru, Ministry of Defence (@Prodef_blr) May 20, 2020

"The aircraft was far away from the city limits when this occurred. The sound of a sonic boom can be heard and felt by an observer even when the aircraft is flying as far away as 65 to 80 kilometres away from the person," the ministry said.

The sound was heard from as far as the Bengaluru airport in Devanahalli to the IT hub of Electronic City 54 km away. It was also heard in Kalyan Nagar in east Bengaluru, central Bengaluru's MG Road and areas such as Marathahalli, Whitefield, Sarjapur and Hebbagodi.

Things seem to be getting weirder each passing day in 2020 and this time around Bengaluru residents were shocked after a mysterious a loud noise rattled the city.

Twitter/@FansnStars

For the uninitiated, at around 1.20 pm today, several residents across the city of Bengaluru heard a mysterious ¡®loud boom¡¯ which left everyone puzzled because no one knows what caused it.

#Bengaluru
CCTV footage of loud noise.
@indiatvnews #banglore #CycloneAmphan pic.twitter.com/W5rnueqj5s

¡ª T Raghavan (@NewsRaghav) May 20, 2020

According to The Indian Express, Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao has said, ¡°For the past one hour people are hearing the sound, I have asked the Air Force about the fighter jet movement.¡±

Did you heard any scary sound today afternoon? Like a tornado wave or an earthquake? In bangalore #Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/6i1u0qV7tX

¡ª AMAN KHARE (@AMAN_KHARE0510) May 20, 2020

Reports state that several people reported hearing a booming sound and a thunderous noise, while some claimed they felt tremors and windows rattling.

The noise was heard in Cooke Town, Vivek Nagar, Ramamurthy Nagar, Hosur Road, HAL, Old Madras Road, Ulsoor, Kundanahalli, Kammanahalli, CV Raman Nagar, Whitefield and HSR Layout in Bengaluru.

@ShivAroor Caught it!! Finally?.. possible reasone behind that sonic boom type of noise!! #bangalore #bengaluru any idea which fighter jet is this?? pic.twitter.com/Sr0qRWadfz

¡ª Sandeep Mishra (@MishraSandy29) May 20, 2020

Officials at the seismic activity monitoring wing of the KSNDMC said their no ground motion has been recorded. "Our seismometers have not recorded any spike, which means an earthquake is not the source of the sound. The Seismometers capture vibrations of even mild tremor," an official said.

No its not because of #sonicboom.
Natural disaster team says it is the likely effect of heavy vacuum created and sudden entry of Cyclonic wind (created by #Amphan between hot and cold airs which has happened last year also ). @indiatvnews #banglore #CycloneAmphan

¡ª T Raghavan (@NewsRaghav) May 20, 2020

There were speculations about the boom being caused by testing of a fighter jet. However, KSNDMC officials said they could not confirm the same. "We do not monitor ultrasonic activities. Hence it would be difficult to pinpoint the source of the sound," an official said.

However, it was clarified that no damage was reported in the city so far. India Today quoted the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre adding,

¡°The activity reported in Bengaluru is not due to an earthquake. The Seismometers did not capture any ground vibration as generally happens during a mild tremor. The activity is purely a loud unknown noise.¡±

Here's how people reacted:

#1

#Bangalore
May be its Thor ? pic.twitter.com/2WWIVYxhmq

¡ª Ben Tennyson (@ImBenTenn45) May 20, 2020

#2

#Bangalore #sonicboom

Me sleeping Me After Hearing peacefully : that sound today : pic.twitter.com/Eu895SrRKi

¡ª Manav (@neikmanav) May 20, 2020

#3

#Bangalore did u hear it..... pic.twitter.com/8KhSFLOwO7

¡ª DJ?? (@dhanarajmb) May 20, 2020

#4

I guess he is back#Bangalore pic.twitter.com/OU7ZI3tET3

¡ª ¡ï (@disaster_kween) May 20, 2020

#5

#Bangalore
Mysterious loud 'boom' heard in Bengaluru,

Aliens ? Earthquake ? Mirage 2000 ? Sonic Boom ?? pic.twitter.com/zyLyAh2C4k

¡ª Sai (@i_Ganeshsai) May 20, 2020

#6

#BOOM#Bangalore#sonicboom

That's just sonic boom caused by fighter jets when flying at speeds greater than the speed of sound in air. I saw jets in the sky (Bengaluru, Whitefield)around when this happened.
Nothing to worry?? pic.twitter.com/6xOpB3i80o

¡ª ADITYA PRAKASH (@TechieAadi) May 20, 2020

Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre along with mines and geology officials are trying to find out the nature and exact location of the sound that was heard.

The report mentioned that the seismic activity monitoring wing of the KSNDMC didn¡¯t record any such activity. Officials said the seismometers have not recorded any spike, which means an earthquake is not the source of the sound, reports Deccan Herald.