New Delhi (NVI): The massive noise heard across Paris and nearby suburbs today was not caused by an explosion but by sonic boom from a military jet, the French Police have confirmed.
The shockwave rattled windows, made birds fly up and was heard in every part of the city, leading to a surge in phone calls to police.
The police in the French capital said the sonic boom was caused as the military jet broke the sound barrier.
The huge noise had earlier panicked residents of Paris and sent netizens in the French capital in a tizzy on social media.
“A very loud noise was heard in Paris and in the Paris region. It was not an explosion, it was a fighter jet crossing the sound barrier,” Paris police prefecture posted on their Twitter account.
Un bruit très important à été entendu à Paris et en région parisienne. Il n'y a pas d'explosion, il s'agit d'un avion de chasse qui a franchi le mur du son.
N'encombrez pas les lignes de secours !— Préfecture de Police (@prefpolice) September 30, 2020
The police asked the people not to call emergency phone lines.
The blast echoed around the Roland Garros stadium during the French Open tennis tournament and players Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland and his German opponent Dominik Koepfer paused their match in astonishment and worry.
Explosion in Paris heard from games at Rolland Garros pic.twitter.com/3eVhSLrXQQ
— . (@wiIffff) September 30, 2020
A similar loud sonic boom was heard in many areas in Bengaluru, India, on May 20, with speculations rife among the public even as officials in disaster monitoring centre clairifying that there was no earthquake.
The Defence Department admitted later that the sound was indeed a sonic boom, caused by a jet crossing the sound barrier.
-CHK
