PORTLAND – Police said they have solved the mystery of the boom that baffled many people in Portland Sunday.
A bird? A plane? No, it was actually a pipe bomb, according to Sgt. Mike Unsworth with the Portland Police Bureau.
Unsworth went on to explain that it was a large pipe bomb which had been "embedded" in the hill at Powers Marine Park, just south of the Sellwood Bridge, on the west side of river. Unsworth said the low clouds trapped the sound in, and caused it to bounce across city.
"Investigators did locate evidence of a large pipe bomb this morning in Powers Marine Park that appears to have been detonated. Investigators believe that the sound was amplified in an easterly direction because of its placement near the bank and river and due to the low cloud cover," added detective Mary Wheat, with the Portland Police Bureau.
There were numerous reports of a loud explosion at 8:05 p.m. Most of the reports were clustered in Southeast Portland. Twitter and Facebook users also buzzed about it.
Wheat said officers were able to zero in on the location of the pipe bomb with the help of online social media. (See map below)
The investigation continued as police were still trying to figure out who detonated the loud pipe bomb and why.
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But no one seemed to know exactly what it was at first – not even police, natural gas officials or the military.
The boom was so powerful it even set off car alarms near the Sellwood Bridge.
More: Listen to 9-1-1 calls about big boom
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