GANGTOK, 16 Mar: “BBC Flash news: Japan Government confirms radiation leak at Fukushima nuclear plants. Asian countries should take necessary precautions. If rain comes, remain indoors first 24 hours. Close doors and windows. Swab neck skin with betadine where thyroid area is, radiation hits thyroid first. Take extra precautions. Radiation may hit Philippine at around 4 pm today. Pls forward this msg to as many as possible” – reads the hoax text message that has been going around since the day before.
The scale of this hoax can be judged from the fact that it has reached this part of the world as well, and more importantly, forced the BBC to post a clarification on its website today stating that they have issued no such “flash”.
According to some media reports, the text triggered panic in the Phillipines with the sales of Betadine going up and several schools, including the state-owned Polytechnic University of the Philippines, canceling classes on Monday. This also led to the Phillipines government to issue an official denial of giving any such directions to school authorities.
While the SMS was in wide circulation in Sikkim as well, no reports have come in on any panic reactions like mass-purchase or Betadine or closure of schools, at least not yet. Many receivers of this SMS have however diligently been forwarding it to everyone in their address-book ;-)
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