A person who fired a flare, used by ships in distress, was taken into custody by the Mavelikara police on Wednesday night after his mischief caused panic in the Chettikulangara region, near Mavelikara.
According to the police, the person, an employee at the Kannur ship-breaking yard, had got hold of the flare from the yard. He, along with his friends, tried to set it off late Wednesday. The flare exploded behind a house near the Chettikulangara temple, triggering panic in the region.
The local people said they saw a “ball of fire” fall from the skies. The “unusual sighting” spread panic and along with it, rumours that it could be a meteorite or even a “missile” targeted at the temple. However, a police team that reached the spot identified the flare and within a couple of hours, the accused was taken into police custody.
