Goa Tsunami Siren Panic Blamed on Technical Glitch

Porvorim, Goa – In a startling turn of events, residents of Goa were thrown into a state of panic last night when a tsunami siren blared for an uninterrupted 20 minutes, despite the absence of any earthquake or official tsunami warning. Authorities have now attributed the incident to a technical glitch in the Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS) located atop a hill in the Porvorim area.

The EWDS, designed to provide early detection and timely alerts for natural disasters, malfunctioned on Wednesday night, causing widespread alarm among the coastal community. The continuous siren wailing without any corresponding warning led to confusion and distress among the residents.

North Goa District Collector, Mamu Hege, addressed the incident, reassuring the public that there was no imminent tsunami threat. After consultation with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), it was confirmed that no tsunami warnings were issued for the region. Hege further explained that the state water resources department has been tasked with investigating the precise cause behind the erroneous sounding of the siren.

The incident underscores the importance of maintaining and regularly testing such crucial early warning systems to prevent unnecessary panic and to ensure the safety and well-being of coastal communities in the event of a genuine emergency. Authorities are working diligently to rectify the technical error and restore confidence in the EWDS system.