[Reader-list] 3 mysterious explosions in south Goa

[anupam chakravartty]

Navy involved in firing exercise?

HERALD CORRESPONDENT

CANACONA, FEB 11
Was the Navy involved in firing exercises in the Arabian Sea off
Majali in Karwar?
While some youth from Loliem seem to think so, the Navy has claimed
that there were no firing exercises in the area, but assured to look
into the matter.
Some Loliem youth, who were waiting along the Majali coast in
neighboring Karwar to go on a fishing sojourn, reportedly noticed a
fighter plane hovering in the sea before dropping three objects one
after the other. They heard a huge sound and saw water shooting to a
height of about 20 meters.
The incident reportedly took place at about 12.30 pm, around the
similar time when people in Canacona heard the mysterious explosions.
“We noticed a Navy plane taking rounds at a distance of about 3-4 kms
from the Majali coast. Suddenly, we heard a huge sound and saw water
shooting up in the sky, before two other objects were also dropped
from the plane”, said the three youth, who witnessed the alleged
incident from the Majali shore.
Interestingly, the three youth, who were earlier unaware of the sounds
heard in many parts of Canacona and elsewhere in the State, narrated
to the people what they saw off the Majali coast almost at the same
time.
“We heard the sound and saw water shooting up at three different spots
one after the other, after the plane dropped two other objects in the
sea”, said another youth.
“But we don’t known if it is the same sound what people at different
places in Goa heard, but it was almost about the same time”, said the
youth.
VASCO REPORTER ADDS: Navy PRO Commandant M C Joshi said, “if fishermen
have seen some aircraft dropping explosive things, we will look into
the matter”.
“As far as Navy is concerned, there was no firing exercise. But, even
if an exercise was conducted, naval ammunition cannot create such a
sound that could be heard along the coast from Canacona to Mormugao”,
said Joshi.
“Navy does not have such ammunition that its sound can be heard nearly
at a distance of about 40 kms when dropped in the sea”, said Joshi.
“We are trying to find out what exactly happened, as we have asked the
concerned pilots for details of sorties from the air squadron”, added
Joshi.
Naval sources, however, did not dismiss the possibility of a ‘sonic
boom’, which could explain the mysterious explosions.
“There are possibilities that such sounds can be heard when an
aircraft breaks the sound barrier while flying at supersonic speeds
and at a certain height from the sea. With a sonic boom, it is
possible that window panes and other glass material on land could get
damaged and the sound of the sonic boom can be heard across a distance
of many kilometres”, a Naval official told Herald.
Later at night, PRO Commander Joshi confirmed that a Naval aircraft
MIG 29 was on a routine sortie near Majali off Karwar. “However, the
aircraft did not contain any explosive material that could have been
dropped into the sea”, Com Joshi said.

On 2/11/10, Javed <javedmasoo at gmail.com> wrote:
> 3 mysterious explosions in south Goa
> PTI, 11 February 2010, 05:10pm IST
>
> PANAJI: South Goa district administration swung into action after
> three mysterious explosions were reported in coastal Canacona taluka
> here today.
>
> Deputy collector Deepak Desai confirmed that they had received the
> report of the explosions and government machinery was put into action.
>
> Locals stated that three blasts of huge magnitude were heard in the
> coastal belt of Khola, Agonda and Palolem belt which forced the
> administration and police machinery to swing into action.
>
> Policemen in four vans and scores of panchayat level workers were
> combing the entire area.
>
> Desai said they have not found any clue and that there was no report
> of any damages.
>
> The district administration also approached Indian Coast Guard which
> has begun aerial surveillance over the area.
> ========
>
> (Any link with Sadhvi Pragya on the above?)
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