At 11:10 A.M., this morning, panic spread across the West Bengal Coast after a couple of loud explosions were heard from Digha and Mandarmani. The explosions that seemed to have happened out in the sea were so loud that windows of a few hotels shattered and a few walls were left with cracks.
The police officers from East Midnapore district reported that the explosive sound was heard 18 kms from Digha at Tajpur.
Superintendent of Police, Alok Rajoria, “We are looking into what actually happened. We have also informed the Coast Guard. The sound was also heard in Tajpur as well as in Digha.”
Once the news of the explosion spread, the local administration sent a notice forbidding tourists to enter the water.
Officials initially wondered if a missile test fired from the missile testing range at Chandipur in Odisha coastline landed close to the West Bengal coastline by mistake.
But officers from the Indian Army’s Eastern Command spoke to a news agency and said there were no wayward missiles from their end and also pointed out the missiles that are test fired are rarely loaded with explosives.
A hotel owner at Digha, Girish Raut explained the incident, “The first sound was heard around 11.10 A.M., It was followed by another one and we felt a quake too. No one had any idea what happened and tourists rushed out of their rooms and went to the roads.”
Many tourists were in a shock and one of them Malavika Banerjee said, “It was a terrible moment. I cannot express my feeling when I heard that sound. This is a weekend and there is a rush of tourists in Digha. There was panic everywhere.”
