B য়ে bombile আসছে তেড়ে

‘Bombile’ is the latest phrase terrorising Assam with reports of mobile phones suddenly exploding, causing the user to become unconscious.

The mysterious phenomenon has prompted Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to order a scientific probe to unravel the bizarre occurrences.

An estimated 30 cases have been reported so far with more than 20 people admitted to various hospitals in Assam during the past one week. Most of the victims complained of nausea and a splitting headache, and some of them had to be literally wheeled into the hospital unconscious after the mobile handsets exploded soon after receiving a call.

According to witnesses and victims, the explosions took place soon after receiving calls from numbers that appeared in red on the handset screens.

Mobile service providers are confused and have no scientific explanation to these bizarre cases.

“The interesting thing is that some of the handsets that have burst are from genuine brands like Nokia, Samsung and Motorola. Initially, it was presumed the cases were witnessed in cheap Chinese make handsets, but now even that theory was proved wrong,” a police official said.

But the incidents are triggering panic among mobile users in Assam with ‘bombile’ being the word that is in vogue now.

“Bombile is terrorizing people to the extent that some of them have literally switched off their handsets and waiting for things to subside or hear some scientific explanation about the cause,” said Tonmoy Barkataki, a local journalist.