Central Alberta residents searching for answers after reports of loud 'boom,' 'shockwave'
Residents of Ponoka and surrounding communities are wondering what made a loud "boom" sound on Friday.
RCMP and Ponoka County Fire Rescue Services confirmed to CTV News Edmonton that they received multiple reports around 5 p.m. saying people heard the noise and felt a "shockwave."
Sgt. Ron Bumbry, RCMP media relations officer, said EMS, firefighters, RCMP, and Alberta Sherriffs responded to the reports to try and locate a cause. Officials also reached out to CP Rail to check if there were any derailments and with authorities at the nearby Joffre, Alta., NOVA Chemicals plant to see if any incidents occurred.
"Multiple agencies tried to find a cause or source of these reports," Bumbry said. "We did our due diligence to try and locate a source for these reports but just couldn't."
No injuries were reported to authorities, Bumbry said. Gas companies told RCMP that no underground monitors indicated that anything suspicious occurred.
According to Rob Johnson, east district deputy fire chief, firefighters checked multiple sites within the town and natural gas compressor sites but could not locate any source for the loud noise. Emergency crews could find no flames or smoke, Johnson said.
As of publication, no earthquakes have been reported in the area.
Ponoka is a town in central Alberta, approximately 95 kilometres south of Edmonton, at the junction of highways 2A and 53.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
The Indian couple killed in a wrong-way police chase crash on Highway 401 earlier this week has been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.