Shuttle crash: Blame seven

2003-02-03 12:15

New Delhi - As experts rack their brains to find out the cause of the crash of the United States space shuttle Columbia, an Indian numerologist claims that he has found the culprit - the number seven.

The Asian Age newspaper reported on Monday quoting astrologer and numerologist Madan Gopal Spathu as saying that the numbers seven and 16, which adds up to seven (1+6), have proved fatal for the shuttle and its astronauts, including Indian-born Kalpana Chawla.

Spathu said the total number of astronauts was seven, the launch date was January 16 and the number of days of the mission was again 16.

He said the shuttle crashed 16 minutes before touchdown time of 7:45 Indian time whose three digits added up to 16 which in turn could be reduced to seven.

Kalpana herself was dogged by seven, Spathu said. Her name had seven letters. She was going to be 43, the sum of whose digits was seven as was the addition of her birth date, January 7, 1961. - Sapa-DPA

- SAPA