[meteorite-list] Ball of Fire From Sky Sparks Panic In India

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:30:00 2004
Message-ID: <200309280407.VAA04028_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/sep28/i5.asp

A ball of fire from sky sparks panic
DH News Service
September 27, 2003

BHUBANESWAR - Panic gripped many north and coastal Orissa districts
this evening after people witnessed a huge ball of fire falling from the
sky. Two houses were reportedly gutted in north Orissa's Mayurbhanj
district as parts of the fireball fell on them. There were no reports
of anybody being injured.

In many areas in north and coastal Orissa districts such as Kendrapara
and Cuttack people came out of their houses as a burning meteoroid-like
object dazzled the sky.

"The light was so bright that it looked like day time," said an
eyewitness in Baripada. "The whole sky remained illuminated
for a few minutes," said a resident of Cuttack city.

At several places in Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara district, people
heard a loud bang along with the bright light. An unconfirmed report
said a stone with magnetic power was found on the rooftop of a house
in Jagatsinghpur town soon after the fireball crossed the area.

Residents in many parts of Bhubaneswar also saw the fireball in the sky.
People from different parts of the city including journalists rushed
to Sahid Nagar area of the capital after rumours did the rounds that
parts of the burning flying object had fallen in the backyard of a
private residence.

Policemen who rushed to the spot cordoned off the area. However, the
object turned out to be parts of a remote control plane used by NCC
cadets which had fallen nearly 15 minutes before the fire ball
appeared in the sky.
Received on Sun 28 Sep 2003 12:07:26 AM PDT