December 30, 2004
Associated Press
Star Tribune

NAGAPPATTINAM, India -- It turns out the tsunami warning that caused thousands of residents to flee coastal areas in southern India and other tsunami-damaged countries was a false alarm.

The Indian government issued a tsunami warning about midday, local time, following aftershocks in the Indian Ocean region. But there were no signs of turbulent seas and experts say the aftershocks were not powerful enough to generate killer waves.

India's minister of science and technology now says the warning was based on bad data from a research group. In a TV news conference, he said a conclusion that another tsunami would hit is ``hogwash.''

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