Bullhead City boom
© Cindy Dutcher
Some Tri-state residents were startled by a loud boom Thursday afternoon, the source of which remained a mystery hours later.

The noise was reported just after 1 p.m. and residents initially suspected a natural-gas related explosion.

Southwest Gas Corp. spokeswoman Sonya Headen said that company officials contacted operations employees in Laughlin and Bullhead City and determined that the noise residents heard didn't stem from any activity at any of the utility's sites.

Other reported possibilities included a sonic boom or U.S. Geological Survey activity.

Jeremy Keating, director of Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport, said he hadn't heard of any exercises involving military aircraft underway in the area, aircraft that would be capable of reaching speeds exceeding 660 mph at altitude that would break the sound barrier to trigger a sonic boom.

Bullhead City public works director Pawan Agrawal said his department was unaware of any work being done in the area by any federal agency, but added that such agencies might share details of some projects only with the police and fire departments.

Bullhead City police had no personnel respond to any explosion-like incidents, department spokeswoman Emily Fromelt said.