skyalert
Latest
Emergency app triggers panic after false alarm warns of impending quake
Just after noon on Monday, thousands of Mexico City residents evacuated their office buildings and filled the streets thanks to a warning from the SkyAlert emergency app. The alert warned of a "strong earthquake" that was just seconds away from striking, and the app's official Twitter account even repeated the message. That would have been a great warning, if it were true, but now the company behind the app is doing its best to apologize for the false alarm. SkyAlert's first defense was to point a finger at the country's official quake warning system, CIRES, before eventually admitting that they themselves were to blame. That admission is of little value to those who had their day interrupted by a dire warning that turned out to be false, but if you've ever worked in an office setting, you know how exciting a little drama in your workday can be... even if it's an app erroneously telling you that your life is at risk.
