[meteorite-list] Fireball Explodes Over India

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Jan 12 11:42:09 2005
Message-ID: <200501121641.IAA15095_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://ww1.mid-day.com/news/city/2005/january/101299.htm

Mystery ball of fire falls in Khopoli
By The Mid Day Team (India)
January 12, 2005

Khopoli/Mumbai: "I saw a huge ball of fire in the air. It raced down to
the earth so fast that before I could do anything, my house shook and
all my utensils came crashing down," said Gangaram Waghmare, caretaker
of a farmhouse in Apata village near Khopoli, nearly 100 kms from Mumbai.

Like 6,000 other villagers, Waghmare is in a state of shock after the
mysterious fireball explosions that shook Horale, Wavoshi, Chriner,
Apta, Kharapada and other villages in the vicinity of Khopoli, Uran and
Panvel at around 8.30 pm yesterday.

An almost twister-like effect was also detected in the jungle areas of
Bazruddin, Wavochi and Karoshi, which saw trees swaying.

A series of explosions was heard simultaneously in these villages, and
locals ran out of their houses fearing they would come crashing down.

Most villagers remained out side their homes all through last night.
"The noise was so loud, for a moment I thought I had turned deaf. It was
almost like a huge bomb blast," said R Chaitanya, a resident of Pen.
Chaitanya in fact left his home and rushed to his friend's home in
Panvel to stay there for a while.

What the "ball of fire" and "explosion" was, and what caused it, was
however unclear till late last night.

While Air Traffic Control officials ruled out an aircraft crash, the
Mumbai Meteorological Department ruled out any asteroid or meteorite
fall, and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) officials in
Mumbai dismissed the possibility of any part of a satellite falling.

Police and government officials too could not figure out what the
"fireball" was. Ashok Mhatre, tehsildar of Khalapur, said he rushed out
of his house on hearing the loud noise.

"When I came out to inquire, people told me they had seen something like
an aeroplane," Mhatre said.

A patrolling cop D D Bharsat in Bharapada village told Mid Day he saw
fire with smoke and that its impact sent leaves and other articles from
the ground circling into the air.

Bhaskar Wankhede, collector, Raigad, said, "We have sent teams across
Raigad, but they haven't found anything untoward. I have spoken to Navy
officials at the Nhava Sheva base. They have radar facilities but even
they haven't detected any plane or any flying object."

Officials from the Khopoli fire brigade were also not able to shed any
light. "Some are saying it's a plane crash, while according to others it
was an earthquake," said a fire official.

Superintendent Dnyaneshwar Phadtare of Raigad police said, "The
villagers here have heard the sound but it is still not clear if it was
an explosion, a quake or a fireball," he said.

Police have also not found the exact place where the "explosion" occurred.

"Our men are travelling from village to village to find out the exact
spot of the unidentified explosion. Many have heard the explosion but
nobody has yet been able to pinpoint the spot," Phadtare noted.

(Inputs by Vinod Kumar Menon, Bhupen Patel, Kashif Khusro, Gigil
Varghese and Yogesh Naik)

They have no clue

I have received 80 calls since 8 pm yesterday from people who heard a
deafening sound. We flashed wireless messages to police stations and
other authorities to confirm details, but nothing is known yet.
- Vijay Kamble, commissioner of police, Navi Mumbai

The Air Traffic Control has completed its investigation and has stated
that all flights which took off from Mumbai and flights supposed to land
at Mumbai airport are as per schedule.
- Praveen Ohri, general manager (Aerodrome), Airports Authority of India

We are gathering information, but so far there is no information about
any disaster or a plane crash.
- Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil

We have only two satellites in the orbit, and we have ruled out damage
to either.
- An ISRO administrative officer

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http://www.eians.net/2005/01/12/12boom.html

Sonic boom causes panic
Indo-Asian News Service
January 12, 2005

Mumbai (IANS) - Panic gripped villages outside Mumbai after some
Indian Air Force (IAF) planes fuelled rumours of a meteorite shower in
the area.

Sonic boom from the Sukhoi aircraft caused people to run out of their
homes Tuesday night and complain to police about unidentified flying
objects (UFOs), police sources said Wednesday.

After panic stricken residents also called Mumbai newspapers, the
meteorological department clarified that there were no meteorite shower
- and no UFOs.

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http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=59314

Geologists, astronomers rush to locate meteor debris
New Kerala (India)
January 12, 2005

[Technology India]: Mumbai, Jan 12 : Geologists and amateur astronomers
rushed to Vavoshi near Pen in Raigad district this morning where pieces
of a meteor-like object were reported to have fallen last night.

A meteor-like object allegedly hit Vavoshi village near here in Raigad
district last night around 2030 hrs.

Bright light was seen and deafening noise was heard at places including
Vavoshi, Rasaini, Khalapur, Khopoli, Pen, Panvel, Chirner.

The Astronomical Study and Research Centre, Pen chairman and director
Sandeep Jhadav said it appears to be an explosion caused due to
collision of an asteroid with earth's surface and the impact was felt
over a radius of 50 km.

"We are trying to follow up the matter," he said.

Meanwhile, Indian Meterological Department here denied any earthquake
struck the region last night.

Panic gripped the village with residents reporting a huge ball of fire
coming down from the sky accompanied by a big bang. PTI
Received on Wed 12 Jan 2005 11:41:59 AM PST