Two radio stations in the U.S. territory of Guam, which is at the center of North Korea’s missile threat, have accidentally aired a “civil danger warning” that would also be used in the event of a military attack.
The incident happened at about 12:25 a.m. local time on Tuesday when local radio stations KTWG and KSTO triggered the Emergency Alert Broadcast System (EAS), causing a Civil Danger Warning to be broadcast on the air.
The message said: “A broadcast station or cable system has issued a civil danger warning for the following counties/areas: Guam, Guam, at 12:25 a.m. on August 15, 2017, effective until 12:40 a.m. Message from KTWG/KSTO.”
A real warning would normally include information about the type of threat and the recommended action, but a Civil Danger Warning is a rare type of alert which is used to warn of danger to a significant civilian population. Examples include an imminent or in-progress military or terrorist attack.
“The unauthorized test was NOT connected to any emergency, threat or warning,” Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense (GHS/OCD) said in a statement. “GHS/OCD has worked with KSTO to ensure the human error will not occur again.”
Guam has been at the center of attention for days after North Korea threatened to launch missiles towards the U.S. territory, which is home to 162,000 Americans and the Anderson Air Force Base. Although the North’s threat is to launch missiles into the water, it has nonetheless raised tensions.
“Residents and visitors are reminded to remain calm, even with the continued unconfirmed reports throughout the media,” Guam Homeland Security Advisor George Charfauros said in a statement. “Remember there is no change in threat level, we continue business as usual and know there are U.S. Department of Defense capabilities in place
Charfauros added: “We continue communication with our federal and military partners and have not received official statement warranting any concern for imminent threat to Guam or the Marianas.”
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