CHIKBALLAPUR: The villagers of Mittahalli in Chinthamani taluk and surrounding hamlets are in the grip of panic as they felt and heard a deafening sound from the earth forcing them to scurry out of their houses fearing it to be an earthquake.
Following this, Chikballapur Deputy Commissioner R Latha and Superintendent of Police G K Mithun Kumar, along with a geologists' team, rushed there and spoke to the villagers to collect first-hand information.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Latha said the people of Mittahalli and surrounding villagers need not panic as it was not an earthquake and they can continue their day-to-day activities.
The Deputy Commissioner also said no intensity on the Richter scale was recorded in the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).
However, a team of geologists was deputed in the village where they will camp for a week to observe any further sound and an official communication was also sent to the KSNDMC for specific observation, said Latha.
According to Chandra Shekar of Mittahalli, the villagers observed a huge sound and vibration three or four times leading to panic. However, the visit of the senior officials to the village brought confidence among the people, he said.
Neelamma said a majority of people came out of their homes fearing something going wrong. But there was no crack on the building, nor any electric short circuit or damage to articles.