Teenagers blamed for tsunami false alarm
Teenagers who ran along a Chilean beach claiming a giant tsunami was on its way are being blamed for the panic that sent thousands of people fleeing their homes in a chaotic stampede in the middle of the night.
Government officials were also trying to draw some lessons from the chaotic situation when nearly 15,000 people fled their homes on foot and vehicles in Concepcion, Chile’s third largest city, 350 miles south of Santiago, and nearby towns.
Two elderly people died of heart attacks during the massive escape.
“We must learn of this situation,” said Concepcion Mayor Jacqueline Van Rhysselberghe. “I think this was a drill that God sent us.”
“All organisation systems collapsed, and authorities took too long to react,” she said. “I think this has taught as that emergency services must work around the clock, and in order to do that we must invest.”
Presidential spokesman Francisco Vidal said “Chileans should not worry because the country has an efficient early warning system operated by the by the Navy, that functions around the clock".
But, he admitted, the failure to transmit the information that the tsunami alarm was unfounded “shows us that we have to make an effort to improve our capacity to inform the population".
Other concern for officials was to determine who started the alarm, which acting President Jose Miguel Insulza called “a tragic joke".
Three young men apparently ran through a beach at 2am in Talcahuano, a town next to Concepcion, shouting that a massive wave was coming.
