Watch the dramatic moment BBC News is forced to abandon interview due to tsunami alert live on air

Scottish Sun

6 days ago

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BBC News were forced to scrap an interview live on air after being disrupted by a tsunami alert.
The broadcaster was interviewing a Hawaii local about the tsunami threatening the state when she found herself being alerted that evacuation was imminent - in the middle of her interview.
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A Hawaii local received an emergency evacuation alert live on air on the BBC
Credit: BBC
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It caused the show to quickly wrap up her interview
Credit: BBC
Kelsea Shepherd, from Hawaii, was speaking to the BBC when loud sirens could be heard wailing around her.
She then also received an emergency alert via her phone.
The moment interrupted her answering the BBC's question as she looked at the camera and said: "Sorry, we have a siren going off now."
As the host questioned if the text she'd just audibly received was a warning too, Kelsea confirmed it was before she read aloud the contents of the message.
She said live on the air: 'The message says, 'Siren sounding for tsunami threat two hours out from first wave arrival, estimated at 7:10pm. Evacuate coastal areas'.
"And that was sent by the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.'
The BBC soon wrapped the interview up seconds later as a result of the warnings.
Before the interruption, Kelsea opened up on the threat of an impending tsunami expected to hit her US state following an 8.8magnitude earthquake.
She told the BBC: 'The current situation right now is there has been a tsunami threat and the National Weather Service has issued a tsunami warning. Sirens have been sounded across the state.
'We've just been advised to move out if you are in those coastal areas that will be impacted.
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'I wouldn't say we were prepared for this, but we did have a tsunami watch about a week ago and so for my husband and I immediately we packed up our 75 hour bags and we are just hoping that all the families can stay safe and get to high ground and hopefully the tsunami will not be harmful to Hawaii and everywhere around the world.'
The panic of tsunamis was sparked when a monster 8.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Russia - threatening both Hawaii and Japan.
The Fukushima nuclear power plant has been evacuated as coastal areas across the Pacific are currently being hit and prepare to be hit by the swells.
The magnitude 8.8 earthquake hit off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka peninsula on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said.
The quake struck about 84 miles off the coast at around 7.24pm EST (12:30am BST) at a shallow depth of 19.3km (12 miles).
It is the 6th largest ever recorded and the largest since the 2011 shake which led to a tsunami that caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Huge aftershocks are still striking the area and tsunamis could last for more than a day.
The first waves have already hit Russia, Japan, Hawaii, and California.
A 4m (13ft) high wave was recorded on the southern tip of Kamchatka with waves inundating low lying areas and thousands evacuating.
Hawaii is bracing for the possibility of 3m (10ft) surges that could strike across the northern islands in the chain.