A loud explosive sound heard across the city of Pune, India, around 12.40 pm on Monday caused buildings to shake and glass panes to rattle and even break. Several Alarmed citizens called up the local police stations and the fire brigade to find out the cause of the sound. Sources in the defence establishment have said it was a sonic boom , caused when an aeroplane breaks the sound barrier and flies faster than the speed of sound. Many reported seeing Air Force planes in the sky at the time. However, the Air Force Station denies any knowledge of the sound.
"We did carry out training sorties at the time but we know nothing about an explosive sound. The planes were not flying at low altitude over civilian area" - Group Captain SN Deshpande, chief operating officer, Air Force Station, Lohegaon.
As for the police, Commissioner DN Jadhav said there has been no explosion or crash anywhere in the city and attributed it to a sonic boom. Fire chief LN Raut said that he had been inundated with calls from anxious people. "We have received no call for explosion, a crash or fire in the city following the sound. Its probable cause is the sonic boom because I heard aeroplanes in the sky" .
However, Pune Airport director Deepak Shastry said he had heard no explosive sound. "I have neither been informed nor do I know of any such sound. The Air Control Tower is controlled by the Air Force and they too have not informed me of any sound".