A powerful explosion-like sound was heard on Thursday, August 18, after 1:00 p.m., causing concern among the residents of Bolesławiec. As it turns out, it was also heard in neighboring counties, as well as in Karkonosze County.
What could have caused such a loud explosion heard in many places across the region?
The answer to this question is not simple. The sound of the explosion may have come from the training area in Świętoszów, from which explosions can sometimes be heard many kilometers away.
We reported on such incidents in December 2021. Supporting this as the cause of Thursday’s explosion-like sound is the fact that the website of the Żagań Land Forces Training Area contains information about firing exercises scheduled from August 16 to 21 in the Świętoszów Sector.
Additionally, the training area reports:
- From August 15 to 21, 2022, from 00:00 to 24:00, activities using battlefield simulation and smoke-generating devices will be held in Area A Karliki and Area D Świętoszów.
The second possible cause could be an aircraft flying at supersonic speed. This produces a phenomenon known as a sonic boom.
The 112 Polkowice service:
A huge number of reports concerned a powerful explosion heard throughout the region. Initially, it was probably the breaking of the sound barrier by one of the fighter jets seen in the area. Such a phenomenon is quite likely even across such a large area—the so-called sonic boom “travels” with the object maintaining supersonic speed.
Update: Unfortunately, we have no confirmation of what may have caused this incident. However, we have received a great deal of information (as well as photographs) supporting the theory of an aircraft flying at supersonic speed—at the moment of the bang, witnesses observed three fighter jets, and immediately afterward they heard the sound of their engines. This suggests that, as the aircraft flew in a particular direction, they “dragged” the sound of the bang behind them.