December 15, 2005
BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand apologized Thursday for a tsunami false alarm one day earlier that spread panic in six southern provinces after a technician accidentally triggered the nation's new warning system.
"We don't want such accidents to happen, and I apologise to the public. However, the drill on Friday must go ahead. We have to make sure that there will be no accident during a real evacuation," said Suranand Vejjajiva, the cabinet minister overseeing the warning system's development.
"Such an accident should not happen again," he said.
The US firm Raydant International, whose technician set off the false alarm Wednesday while preparing to test the system, promised to pay compensation to people who were injured or lost property during the panic caused by the alarm.
"As of now we have received complaints from five people, who mostly sustained slight injuries by falling or in motorbike accidents," Orasa Panghom, head of Raydant's Thai operations told AFP.
"I don't know how much the compensation will cost but we will pay for actual damage," she added.
Orasa apologised for the panic, which came during preparations for a tsunami drill Friday in six provinces on the Andaman coast, ahead of the first anniversary of the December 26 disaster that killed nearly 5,400 people in Thailand.
Sirens and warning messages blared for about five minutes from towers in the provinces of Phang Nga, Krabi, Phuket, Satun, Trang and Ranong shortly after midday Wednesday.
Thailand has completed more than half of the 62 towers planned for tsunami-hit provinces. The system is scheduled for completion by March 19.
Thai authorities will run the tsunami drill Friday in selected spots, including Phi Phi island and Bang Nieng beach in Phang Nga province, both areas that suffered heavy casualties.
Raydant International was hired by the Thai Meteorological Department to link up the warning towers on the beach with the National Disaster Warning Center in Bangkok.