‘Wrong button’ sends Hawaii incoming ballistic missile alert

Bloomberg

An alert mistakenly warning Hawaiians of an imminent ballistic missile attack — at a time the state’s residents are already anxious about nuclear tensions between the US and North Korea — resulted from human error, Hawaii’s governor said.
The emergency notice was triggered after an “employee pushed the wrong button” during a shift change at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Governor David Ige said at a press conference. He apologized for the “pain and confusion” that resulted and said “everything” is being done to prevent a repeat.
The Federal Communications Commission, which has jurisdiction over the emergency alert system, is “launching a full investigation” into the incident, Chairman Ajit Pai said on Twitter. Federal and state lawmakers also called for a probe.
Residents of the island state, as well as thousands of tourists, woke around 8:07 a.m. local time on Saturday to alerts lighting up their mobile phones about — in all capital letters — a “ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii” and a warning that “this is not a drill.”
Television programming was interrupted with flashing red text: “A missile may impact on land or sea within minutes. This is not a drill. If you are indoors, stay indoors. If you are outdoors, seek immediate shelter in a building.” Residents were told that if indoors they should stay well away from windows. If driving, they should pull over and “seek shelter in a building or lay on the floor.”