Authorities in the American state of Hawaii are investigating whether sirens intended to sound an alert about a possible nuclear attack from North Korea malfunctioned after the warning systems were barely heard at the popular Waikiki beach in Honolulu, Independent reported.
Hawaii on Friday tested the sirens for the first time since the end of the Cold War.
“It was as anticlimactic as I expected, but I wanted to come outside and really hear it,” The Washington Post quoted a resident as saying. “Maybe they should be playing Broadway tunes if it is the last sound we are going to hear in the last 15 minutes of our lives.”
“I was out in the ocean playing around, and I heard this siren,” Tom Passmore, a tourist from Calgary in Canada told Independent. “I think it [the test] is a good idea, but judging by everyone’s reaction around here, nobody moved.”
The sirens were reactivated in light of North Korea’s recent test launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, which may reach the state, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Arlina Agbayani had said when announcing the decision.
The air siren, which sounded for 60 seconds from 385 locations across the islands, will be repeated on the first working day of each month. The warning will give people 20 minutes to take shelter ahead of an imminent strike.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!