Ozone Gauging Equipment creates panic

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A suspicious object found outside a house in Valiyathura, near the International Airport here, on Wednesday morning created panic in the area. Later, on inspection it turned out to be an electronic gadget called Ozonesonde used by the Meteorological Department to measure the ozone content in the air. People in the locality alerted the police and rumours soon spread that a small explosion took place. Soon senior police officials and bomb disposal squads swung into action. The object was found outside the gate of one of the residents Stella. More and more people crowded the area after TV channels started reporting that it could be a ‘bomb’ since it has a wire. Soon speculations spread that the exposed portion could be the fuse of the detonator. Senior police officials, including City Police Commissioner T J Jose, arrived at the scene.The bomb squad reached the spot and on inspection it was found that it was the electronic gadget sent from observatory of the Meteorological Department on a hydrogen balloon to detect the Ozone content in the air. The MET officials said that usually the balloon goes to a certain height and then bursts but usually the equipment falls on areas not inhabited by people.  MET officials said that they release the instrument to the air fortnightly on Wednesdays and that there was no chance of any explosion.Meanwhile, the police had a tough time controlling the crowd and later make them realise that it was an electronic gadget sent up by the MET.