SINGAPORE: A loud boom heard and felt across parts of Perth in Western Australia on Aug 21 has been traced to fighter jets from Singapore that are training in the area.
Responding to media queries on the mystery boom, Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (Mindef) on Aug 22 said initial findings indicate that the noise could have come from the training aircraft. The planes were flying about 70km from the coast at above 24,000 feet over sea in the designated training area.
“The loud noise was unexpected as the F-15 was far out at sea,” it added.
The ministry said four Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-15 aircraft have been training out of Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Pearce, a military airbase north of Perth, since Aug 13. The training exercise is slated to end on Sept 6.
Mindef added: “The RSAF appreciates the continued support of the RAAF and the local community for our training from RAAF Base Pearce.
“The RSAF apologises for any alarm that the training activity may have caused.”
Australian media reported on Aug 21 that the boom was felt by many across the southern parts of Perth, and linked it to Singapore’s planes.
According to ABC news, thousands of people flooded social media just before midday in Western Australia to report the booming sound, which had rattled windows everywhere from Mandurah to Fremantle to inland in Byford.
Several residents told Australian television news outlet Nine that they heard a bang, followed by “a shock wave” and a “deep earth shake”.
Hazel Williams, a resident in a southern suburb of Perth, said: “(It was) just a massive boom. Very, very loud. Very intense. Very quick. I grabbed the cat and I thought, ‘I’m getting out of here’.” - The Straits Times/ANN
