SAINT-LOUIS (974) 05.03.2017

A witness in Saint-Louis, Réunion (974), reported several different sky observations, including one above the sea on 5 March 2017. For 30 minutes that day, he saw a yellow-orange cloud in which a black ball appeared, with the whole changing shape. Only 1 account was collected. GEIPAN considered it unsuitable for analysis for several reasons. The information was imprecise and did not clearly distinguish the separate sightings. Photographs and videos said to show unidentified phenomena and “invaders” instead showed small clouds illuminated at sunset, or aircraft that seemed unusual to the witness because of their black wings and tail. GEIPAN noted that dark clouds in shadow had similar shapes to the illuminated ones. GEIPAN also considered the witness's sense of strangeness to extend well beyond what the sky images showed and beyond its remit. As an example, he insisted on sending videos that were difficult to understand but recognizable as depicting exorcism. GEIPAN classifies the case C: insufficient reliable information.