Resources Minister Shane Jones admitted he missed New Zealand’s overnight tsunami alert after turning his phone off and going to bed early following “a glass or three of red wine”.
While hundreds of thousands of Kiwis were startled awake by a nationwide emergency alert for a tsunami threat early this morning, Government minister Shane Jones missed the memo.
Speaking to Herald NOW’s Ryan Bridge on Thursday morning, Jones said he’d switched off his phone and gone to bed earlyafter enjoying a few wines.
“I had a great dinner last night and there might have been a glass or three of red wine,” Jones said.
Shane Jones said he turned his phone off to avoid being 'bugged by various callers' as emergency alerts rolled out across the country. Photo / File
“So I was asleep by 8.45 and I turned my phone off for fear of being bugged by various callers.”
Asked bluntly by Bridge if he’d basically “got drunk and turned your phone off and would have slept through a tsunami”, Jones said: “Well, that’s your interpretation, mate.
A New Zealand-wide emergency alert was been issued by Civil Defence, warning of 'strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges'.
“Ministers travel with trustworthy staff members.
“I’m sure they’ll get a fireman’s axe and break the door open if I’m really in trouble.”
Bridge then quipped that it must make for some tense evenings with “bored sober staff” hanging around his dinners.
A nation-wide emergency mobile alert was issued after yesterday’s magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the Russian coast - and one of the largest ever recorded - threatened tsunami waves across the Pacific Ocean.
A second mobile alert was sent out at 6.30am with the advisory still remaining in effect and not likely to be lifted until midday at the earliest.
A tsunami alert has been issued after multiple earthquakes struck off the coast of Russia. Photo / US Geological Survey
The National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) warned of “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges” across New Zealand’s shores.
“Strong currents and surges can injure and drown people,” the emergency alert read.
“There is a danger to swimmers, surfers, people fishing, and anyone in or near the water close to the shore.
“People on boats, live-aboards and at marinas should leave their boats/vessels and move on to shore. Do not return to boats unless instructed by officials.
“If you are on-shore, you do not need to evacuate. But stay away from the water,” it said.
The quake triggered a series of tsunamis in Russia, including waves that flooded the port town of Severo-Kurilsk, where around 2000 people were evacuated.
In Japan, tsunami waves of up to 30cm reached Hokkaido, prompting evacuations, train suspensions, and heightened concern near the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Tsunami warnings were issued across the Pacific, with waves of over 3m possible in parts of Russia, Japan, Ecuador, and the northwestern Hawaiian islands.
