Bogus earthquake announcement makes people run out of their flats in terror

Youngsters sneak into a mosque at 3am and use its PA system to give a warning about ‘tremors’.

KARACHI: Amid fears of more aftershocks in the face of the tremors felt in Karachi on Tuesday, a group of youngsters played a prank on the residents of an apartment complex in Gulistan-e-Jauhar’s Block 18.

At 3am on Thursday, the residents of Billy’s Paradise were suddenly stirred out of their sleep by a booming announcement emanating from the PA system of the mosque in the compound. “Attention all residents! You are requested to leave your houses quickly and evacuate the building. An earthquake has hit,” said a young man via the PA system.

Within minutes, a stream of terrified residents ran out of their flats and gathered on the street, praying for the safety of their loved ones amid more warnings over the PA system. Soon enough, all of the project’s occupants - around 600 people - sat huddled in groups along the footpaths, hoping that the ‘tremors’ would end soon. Residents of neighbouring buildings had also dashed out from their flats fearing the worst.



But suddenly, another announcement interspersed with giggles made the residents bristle with rage. It became apparent the announcer was merely a prankster capitalising on the fear that the earthquake on Tuesday had left in its wake. While a few other people giggled in the background, the announcer said the tremors had only reached Badin and Karachi was safe.

“You are all requested to go back to your houses. There were no tremors in Karachi,” announced the youngster, while suppressing laughter. The fear melted as anger took over the residents. Some of them entered the mosque to give the pranksters a piece of their minds. The whole neighbourhood could hear as the PA system was left on. The prankster turned out to be a resident of the project.

“Are you out of your mind?” said a man clearly irked by the stunt. “You will be answerable to Allah for this.” The rumbling continued as residents started moving back to their flats. “This is a disgrace. The next time there is an actual earthquake, no one will believe the announcements, thinking it’s another prank,” a resident told The Express Tribune. “The youngster should be severely punished and the administration should be held responsible. How they [the pranksters] got access to a locked mosque at three in the morning is beyond me.”

Rumours were rife that the announcements happened after a group of young residents dared each other in a bet. The incident happened within the jurisdiction of the Sharae Faisal police station. Law enforcers said that the duty officers headed over to the mosque and let the pranksters off with a warning.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2013.