Incoming missile attack alert that spread panic in Hawaii blamed on ‘wrong button’ being pushed
The emergency notice was triggered after an employee pushed the wrong button during a shift change at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency
An alert warning of an incoming ballistic missile aimed at Hawaii was sent in error Saturday, sowing panic and confusion across the US state – which is already on edge over the risk of attack – before officials dubbed it a “false alarm”.
Emergency management officials eventually determined the notification was sent just after 8:00am (1800 GMT) during a shift change and a drill after “the wrong button was pushed” – a mistake that lit up phones across the archipelago with a disturbing alert urging people to “seek immediate shelter”.
The erroneous message came after months of soaring tensions between Washington and Pyongyang, with North Korea saying it has successfully tested ballistic missiles that could deliver atomic warheads to the United States, including the chain of volcanic islands.
“I deeply apologise for the trouble and heartbreak that we caused today,” said Vern Miyagi, administrator of Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency.
“We’ve spent the last few months trying to get ahead of this whole threat, so that we could provide as much notification and preparation to the public.
“We made a mistake,” he said.