threatTokyo, Jan 22 (AFP) Hundreds of Tokyo residents scrambledfor cover today in the Japanese capital's first evacuationdrill for a military attack since World War II, amid ongoingtensions over North Korea's nuclear programme.
A loudspeaker blared out a terrifying warning at thedrill, held in a Tokyo amusement park: "We have informationthat a missile launch has occurred. Please evacuate calmlyinside a building or underground."A park employee ran around, shouting "a missile waslaunched, a missile was launched" as some 250 local residentsand office workers duly evacuated to reinforced concretebuildings and a nearby subway station.
A few minutes later, a second message was announced vialoudspeaker: "The missile passed. The missile likely flew overthe Kanto (greater Tokyo) region towards the Pacific Ocean."People in earthquake-prone Japan are familiar withevacuation drills simulating natural disasters and fires andannual drills are seasonal rituals seen almost everywhere inthe country -- from schools and workplaces to care homes.
But a drill simulating a North Korean missile attack onTokyo is still a novel idea, although similar drills were heldin other parts of Japan last year.
"I think it's better than nothing to have such a drill,but I am praying there is no missile attack from the North,"Shota Matsushima, 20, a university student who was in a trainstation near the drill site, told AFP.
Kana Okakuni, 19, also a student, added: "I think it'sgood to take a precaution, like having drills forearthquakes."The drill comes as regional tensions remain high overNorth Korea's nuclear and missile drive, despite the hermitstate's plan to send athletes to next months' Winter Games inthe South, which has drawn global attention.
North Korea has singled out Japan, a key US ally in theregion, for verbal attacks, threatening to "sink" the countryinto the sea and to turn it into "ashes".
Last year, Pyongyang fired three missiles over Japan andhas splashed others into the sea near the country, sparking amix of panic and outrage.
Every time North Korea launches a missile over Japan, thenation's alert system warns residents via mobile phones andstreetside loudspeaker broadcasts.
But many people say that such a system is useless, withtoo little time to evacuate and few facilities in place tosurvive a nuclear attack.
There have also been false alarms.
Last week, Japan's public broadcaster NHK mistakenlyflashed that North Korea appeared to have launched a missile,warning people to take cover before apologising for the erroronly minutes later.
That came just days after a false cellphone warning of anincoming ballistic missile terrified residents in Hawaii.
The latest drill in Tokyo attracted some protests.
"I don't want to participate in such a drill and I amagainst it, as it is a way to promote a war," said IkieKamioka, 77, a former primary school teacher who was amongdozens of people who rallied in protest against the drill.
"You won't survive if a war occurs. A nuclear war woulddevastate everything," she said. (AFP)PMS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.