Thousands of people in Suffolk heard a huge bang as RAF fighter jets scrambled to transport a Ryanair plane to Stansted Airport following a security alert on board.
People from as far away as the Suffolk/Norfolk border and parts of north Essex said they heard what sounded like a massive explosion reverberating across the county at around 8.38am.
Police were inundated with calls about the bang, which left one resident fearing the Sizewell B nuclear plant “had blown up”.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed a sonic boom had been created by Typhoon fighter jets from RAF Coningsby flying through the county to intercept a passenger plane.
Sonic boom: Everything we know
• RAF Typhoon jets from Coningsby intercepted a Ryanair flight which was supposed to be travelling from Kaunas in Lithuania to Luton Airport
• Stansted Airport was selected because it is a designated airport for dealing with hijacks and major security alerts
• Ryanair have since confirmed the security alert on board was a hoax
• Essex Police have said they did not find anything suspicious after carrying out an extensive investigation at the scene
• Armed police were tasked with assessing the plane and were supported by the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
• Thousands of people heard the sonic boom as it reverberated across Suffolk on its way towards Stansted Airport
• Seismologists managed to pinpoint the moment the boom was felt at the Elmsett seismic station at approximately 8.38am
• Flights to and from Stansted were grounded for around 10 minutes and the runway evacuated
• Passengers who were on board the flight are now being transported to Luton Airport using coaches
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