False tsunami alert triggers panic at Porvorim in Goa; probe ordered
Panaji (PTI): A siren giving a warning about tsunami erroneously started playing from the Early Warning Dissemination System at Porvorim near here, triggering panic among the local residents, an official said on Thursday.
The siren started sounding the alert after 9 pm on Wednesday and it continued for more than 20 minutes, local residents said.
Whether the siren went off due to any technical error or any other reason is being probed, with a state minister saying that he has sought a report into it.
The Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS) is installed on a hillock at Porvorim in North Goa on the outskirts of state capital Panaji.
Talking to reporters on Thursday, North Goa District Collector Mamu Hage said, "It was a false warning as there was no such intimation of tsunami from any of the authorities."
"There was no mock drill or anything. I have personally checked and found out that there was no warning either from Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) or the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)," she said.
The collector said she has directed the state Water Resources Department (WRD) to find out why the siren started playing from the EWDS.
People living in the nearby areas said the siren created panic among the locals.
Talking about it, local resident Avinash R said, "We were on a walk after dinner when we heard the siren. Initially we panicked, but we soon realised that it could be a mock drill."
When contacted, state WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar said he has sought a report from his office, which will be received by this evening.
North Goa District Disaster Authority said in a social media post, "There are certain reports of Siren alerting Early Warning Dissemination System at Porvorim of a Tsunami alert. It is clarified that no such Alert of Tsunami is issued by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)."
"The citizens are requested not to panic," it added.
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge met a high-level delegation from Chile, led by Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna, at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday to discuss collaboration in emerging technologies, clean energy, and startup ecosystems, officials said.
The delegation’s visit to Bengaluru, as part of its India engagements, underscores Karnataka’s growing prominence as a preferred partner for global collaborations in technology, innovation, and startup ecosystems, officials added.
The discussions reflected strong alignment between Chile’s evolving technology-focused growth strategy and Karnataka’s established leadership in innovation and deep-tech ecosystems, according to a statement.
Both sides explored opportunities to build partnerships that move beyond traditional sectors and focus on innovation-led growth, talent exchange, and market access.
The meeting focused on opportunities in renewable energy, including green hydrogen and sustainable industrial innovation.
Other potential areas of collaboration included marine biotechnology, aquaculture technologies, and AI applications across traditional industries.
According to the state IT minister, Karnataka is now a global hub for deep-tech, AI, biotech, aerospace, and advanced research, backed by one of the world’s strongest talent pipelines.
“As partners under the global innovation alliance, we must move beyond agreements on paper to actionable collaboration,” Kharge said.
“We are keen to work with Chile on startup exchanges, market access programmes, and building joint innovation corridors, including R&D centres, incubators, and accelerators. Chile’s position as a gateway to Latin America presents a significant opportunity for our startups to scale globally,” he added.
Officials said the engagement builds on the Letter of Intent signed between the Government of Karnataka and the Government of Chile during the Bengaluru Tech Summit, which established a framework for collaboration in startups, emerging technologies, research, and skill development under the Global Innovation Alliance.
Mackenna, Chile’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the country is actively advancing its transition toward a knowledge- and technology-driven economy.
“Our engagement with Karnataka reflects our interest in building strong innovation partnerships that enable technology exchange, talent collaboration, and access to dynamic startup ecosystems,” he added.
“We see significant potential to work together in sectors such as clean energy, digital technologies, and emerging industries, while also strengthening Chile’s role as a bridge between India and Latin America,” he said.
