Met department's balloon causes panic

ARCOT: A big balloon sent to the sky for experimental purposes by the Meteorological department, fell in a farmer's land at Managadu lake area near here causing panic among the villagers.

Seeing the balloon falling on Monday evening, the villgers gathered at the place in large numbers.

They seized the object and handed it over to Arcot taluk authorities.

Upon enquiry, it was known that the balloon was sent by meterological department and was handed over to the local office here.

Another balloon of the department sent up for environment-related studies had fallen in a farmer's land near Vellore a fortnight back.