PANJIM/VASCO: Panic gripped residents of Panjim and surrounding villages following unexpected loud noise caused by the Sukhoi fighter (Su-30MKI) jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF), holding joint exercise with the Indian Navy in the State on Tuesday night.
The Defence authorities stated that this exercise will continue for another couple of days and have appealed to civilians not to panic.
It was around 2 am on Wednesday when the people woke up from their deep sleep to the loud and supersonic sound by the fighter jets. The people heard the sound thrice within a span of few seconds.
Many people panicked and rushed to their windows and even outside their house to know what was happening.
Many people took to social media reporting there was a thunderous noise and that even windows of their houses rattled.
Some people even called O Heraldo to know what had happened.
On Wednesday, the Indian Navy sources confirmed that the loud noise was by Sukhoi fighter jets that were conducting a routine exercise at high altitude flying levels. It was an exercise where the fighter jets have to simulate attack like situations and check its preparedness and readiness to handle such situations.
It was a normal routine exercise and aircraft were flying above 2,000 feet altitude and denied that these were flying low.
“A joint exercise between Indian Air Force and the Navy is being conducted here in Goa. The IAF has sent its Su-30MKI fighters to participate in the exercise, alongside the MiG-29K fighters of the Indian Navy. Since the Sukhois are larger in size, the noise is louder than the MiG 29s,” Indian Navy sources said.
“These are day and night exercises that are going on, which will continue for another couple of days,” the sources said.
When asked whether the local defence authorities should have forewarned the civilian population about the exercise to be held at wee hours, the sources said that this was to be kept confidential and hence there wasn’t any public announcement.