The explosion in the sky over south Texas in the United States was caused by a meteorite falling, officials said, clearing up confusion over a sudden explosion that had residents worried.
“We believe we have solved the mystery of the massive explosion,” Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra said at a Thursday press conference.
Many residents reported hearing an explosion in the lower Rio Grande Valley near the town of Mission on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
Authorities believe a meteorite landed around 5:28 pm local time, which caused a “big explosion or rumble inside the city”, said the mission’s chief of police, Cesar Torres.
Two pilots flying near Houston reported seeing an apparent meteorite, Guerra said, citing a report he received from the FBI.
While meteorite strikes are not uncommon, Guerra wanted to reassure people who have become concerned after several objects in US airspace have been brought down in recent days.
“Obviously, with all these incidents closed, you can imagine what the fears of our voters and citizens were,” Guerra said.
The National Weather Service in Brownsville, Texas, said a satellite system designed to measure lightning detected the apparent meteorite. There were no storms in the area at the time.
“This can scare our residents, and we want to make sure we give our residents as much information as possible to help them feel safe here in our local community,” said US Representative Mónica de la Cruz, who represents the area.
Earlier this month, US military jets shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon over the Atlantic Ocean off the east coast, defense officials said. Many Americans were intrigued as they watched the balloon fly from Montana to the Carolinas.
Several days later, a US fighter shot down another object in the air over Lake Huron, the Pentagon said. It followed the crash of an unidentified object over northern Canada, a day after an object was shot down in Alaskan airspace by a US F-22.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
