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‘Bang in the sky’ seen over Billings Montana where Chinese balloon was seen in US airspace – Resident witnesses who flew past after officials said they would not shoot down the balloon because it was over an ‘amount of sensitive sites’
- Witnesses in Billings, Montana, reported an “explosion in the sky” after US officials warned that a Chinese spy balloon was flying over the region.
Witnesses in Billings, Montana, reported an “explosion in the sky” after US officials warned that a Chinese spy balloon was flying over the region.
The bizarre video from the aftermath shows a trail of smoke in the sky where the balloon was last seen.
Dolly Moore, who took video of the scene, said she “saw a plane go by so fast and then explode in the sky.” It was not immediately clear if the explosion was the spy balloon burst.
It comes after the US State Department called the balloon, which was traveling over US airspace at 60,000 feet, a “clear violation” of US sovereignty, but said that it would not be shot down because it was flying over a “number of sensitive sites”. .’
A US defense official said the balloon is the size of several buses but does not pose an immediate threat to Americans. The balloon, pictured over Montana, has been tracked for several days, but authorities decided not to shoot it down for fear of debris. China claims it is a civilian airship used for meteorological research
The balloon flew over the Aleutian Islands in the north Pacific Ocean and then crossed Canadian airspace toward the United States.
US officials had said the balloon is large enough to destroy it and spew debris, putting the safety of people on the ground at risk.
Analysts said the balloon is about the size of “three buses” and could be equipped with high-tech equipment including cameras, sensors and radar.
F-22 fighter jets were mobilized to track the device as it hovered over Montana, which borders Canada, on Wednesday.
A US defense official said it entered US airspace “a couple of days ago” but did not share its exact location.
This is a developing story.