Hawaii apologises for fake missile alert

A TEXT alert that warned of a ballistic missile heading straight for Hawaii and sent residents into a fullblown panic was a mistake, state emergency officials have said.

Hawaii officials apologised for the mistake and vowed to ensure it will never happen again.

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Administrator Vern Miyagi said the error happened when someone hit the wrong button. “We made a mistake,” said Mr Miyagi.

For nearly 40 minutes, it seemed like the world was about to end in Hawaii, an island paradise already jittery over the threat of nuclear-tipped missiles from North Korea.

The emergency alert, sent to mobile phones statewide just before 8.10am on Saturday, said: “Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill.”

On the H-3, a major highstretch way north of Honolulu, vehicles sat empty after drivers left them to run to a nearby tunnel after the alert showed up, while workers at a golf club huddled in a kitchen fearing the worst.

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency tweeted there was no threat about 10 minutes after the initial alert, but that didn’t reach people who aren’t on the social media platform.

A revised alert informing of the “false alarm” didn’t reach phones until 38 minutes later, according to the time stamp on images people put on social media.

President Donald Trump, at his private club in Florida, was briefed on the false alert.

With the threat of missiles from North Korea in people’s minds, the state reintroduced the Cold War-era warning siren tests last month that drew international attention. But even though the state says nearly 93 per cent of the state’s 386 sirens worked properly, 12 mistakenly played an ambulance siren.