Nilagiri: Curls of smoke were reportedly spotted billowing out of the ground at Baunsabania near Nilagiri-Baulagadia road under this block in Balasore district with the surface automatically getting hotter in the area.
This unusual incident has pressed panic button in the area. Apprehending that something unusual is going to happen, local people Saturday drew the attention of the collector and sub-collector towards the matter.
Locals said they had seen smoke billowing out of the ground Friday morning but thought that it was the result of the wet ground receiving searing sun rays.
But as smoke continued to emerge from the ground, curious crowds from peripheral villages flock around the spot. “We thought that a problem in a nearby utility pole might have caused heat and resultant smoke. We intimated the matter to the staff of the electricity distribution company,” locals said.
The electrical staff investigated the matter and made it clear that the smoke and heating of the ground had nothing to do with the electricity pole.
Later, the villagers contacted the staff of the local telecom service provider. But the authorities concerned could not ascertain any link between the smoke and the underground telecom cables.
Some people dug a part of the ground, but more smoke emanated and the earth was found hotter than earlier.
Meanwhile, sub-collector Ghasiram Murmu asked the local firefighters to look into the matter.
The firefighters have reportedly been unable to detect the cause of the smoke and heating of ground, leaving the locals panicked. PNN
