What Caused Five Big Explosions In Rajasthan’s Pokhran, Which Triggered Intense Speculation On Social Media

On the evening of 1 October residents in Rajasthan’s Pokhran - the site of India’s famed nuclear tests, heard loud explosions which triggered intense speculation on social media about their nature.

As per media reports there were a total of five intense explosions which shuddered windows and shop shutters which led to people emerging in the streets to speculate the cause. The explosions also resulted in panic among the locals.

The issue soon spread to social media where people began making wild guesses claiming that India tested a thermonuclear device which could be fitted with the BrahMos missile.

A few social media users even when on to compare it to Smiling Buddha - the code name for the Pokhran - I nuclear tests conducted in 1974.

Few initial reports by journalists also indicated that sonic booms may have been the cause of the explosions.

The Timing

What fuelled this wild speculation was the rising nuclear rhetoric being employed by the Pakistani dispensation including Prime Minister Imran Khan.

During his recent speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Khan had warned about the possibility of a nuclear war erupting out of the Kashmir dispute.

This statement was heavily panned after being construed as a blackmailing tactic being employed by the Pakistani establishment as a means of gaining global leverage over Kashmir.

The Truth

The intense speculation and conspiracy theories though met a premature end when the Indian Army released a statement that, “old ordnance was being destroyed between 6.30 pm and 7.15 pm at Pokhran area of Thar desert”.

The army also slammed the rumours being spread over the explosions and claimed Pakistani outlets began spreading fake news that India was conducting a thermonuclear test.

Not The First Time

Incidentally, it isn’t the first time loud noises near India-Pakistan border have led to wild speculation on social media.

In March, soon after the Balakot air strike and the subsequent dog fight between the Indian and Pakistani jets, residents in Amritsar heard two loud blasts in the middle of the night.

This too similarly triggered rumours and panic among the local population with many even speculating if it was a bomb blast.

The administration soon swung into action and calmed the residents by revealing that the loud noises were the result of sonic booms created by Indian Air Force (IAF) jets flying at supersonic speeds near the India-Pakistan border. This reportedly was part of a major readiness exercise planned by the IAF.