Honolulu — Authorities faced anger and demands for answers on Sunday after a false alarm about an incoming ballistic missile caused panic in Hawaii, which is already on edge over fears of a North Korean attack. The notification was sent out just after 8am on Saturday, lighting up phones with a disturbing alert urging people to "seek immediate shelter". Emergency management officials later admitted "the wrong button was pushed" during a shift change. However, it took nearly 40 minutes for a corrected message to be issued — with Hawaii’s governor saying there was no automatic way to cancel the false alarm, meaning it had to be done manually. The Federal Communications Commission, which is responsible for standards, procedures and testing protocols for the Emergency Alert System that delivered the false alert, promised a "full investigation". The alert, which read "BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL", sparked panic, with people rushi...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.