Plane Crash Chaos: County Magistrate’s Shocking Drill Sparks Panic in Penghu
Penghu Conducts Large-Scale Disaster Relief Exercise, Causing Public Panic
Exercise Aims to Improve Disaster Response Capabilities
The Penghu County government conducted a large-scale disaster relief mobilization exercise in conjunction with this year’s National Disaster Prevention Day. The exercise aimed to test disaster prevention warning cell broadcast service messages (CBS messages) and improve emergency disaster response capabilities.
Exercise Details and Participants
The exercise was held in four venues simultaneously, with power transferred, making it the largest in history. Units participating in the exercise included personnel from the army, navy, firefighters, and medical institutions of Penghu County. Additionally, the fire departments of Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County crossed the sea to assist, while civilian medical teams traveled thousands of miles.
Public Panic Caused by Test Message
During the exercise, people in Penghu received a warning text message stating, ”An aircraft encountered southwesterly winds and sudden strong winds and crashed ashore on the 8th. The Guard Fleet Wing has suffered heavy casualties.” Although the message included a disclaimer stating “the above is a test message,” many residents panicked due to the sensitive nature of the message.
Apology and Future Improvements
In response to the public’s concerns, the Penghu County Government Fire Department publicly apologized and promised to add “The following is a drill test message. Those who received warnings please do not panic” in the title of future test messages. The department also revised the earthquake and tsunami warnings issued on the second day of the exercise to include the word “exercise” in the first line of the text.
County Magistrate’s Apology and Assurance
Penghu County Magistrate Chen Guangfu apologized to the public for the incident, emphasizing that the purpose of the exercise is to learn and update emergency disaster response capabilities. He urged Penghu villagers not to panic and assured them that the government is working to improve disaster prevention and relief efforts.