![\"Phone](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-130726315,imgsize-1568407,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/untitled-design-29.jpg\" "\\"<p>People")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPeople show their mobile phones during the nationwide test of the new \u2018Cell Broadcast Alert System\u2019, in Patna on Saturday<\/p>\n
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Phones shrieked. Screens flashed. A commuter lunged for an emergency chain. Theatre audiences froze. Patients gripped chairs. With tensions in West Asia already on edge, many feared the worst as confusion swept cities \u2014 before relief set in minutes later.Lakhs of users across India received a piercing \u201cExtremely Severe Alert\u201d around 11.45am Saturday, followed by a repeat minutes later \u2014 part of a nationwide test of a new cell broadcast-based disaster warning system.The message was blunt: no action required. The reaction was anything but. At a children\u2019s play in Mumbai\u2019s Prithvi Theatre, about 40 phones rang in unison, startling families queued for a performance. On a suburban train, one passenger tried to pull an emergency chain before others intervened.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In hospitals and clinics, alarms cut through consultations, leaving patients shaken.\u201cI switched off my phone immediately thinking it was some bug,\u201d said a Bandra resident. A visitor in Borivali recalled people freezing. \u201cIt was annoying to some and scary to others.\u201dAcross states, similar scenes played out. In Bhubaneswar, many feared hacking or a cyberattack before reading further.\u201cI thought my phone was under attack, then felt relieved,\u201d said a resident. In Bengaluru, users mistook it for a heatwave or earthquake warning before clarity emerged. In Lucknow, a pharmacist said several devices blared simultaneously, causing brief panic.In New Delhi, Kanika Sharma, 29, a private school teacher, said the sudden buzz during brunch initially triggered fears of global tensions before she realised it was a drill. \u201cTensions in West Asia were the first thing that came to my mind\u2026 this system can be useful in case of emergencies,\u201d she said. Others flagged confusion over repeat alerts. Abhishek Dogra, 33, an IT professional from Jasola in southeast Delhi, said his entire family\u2019s phones rang at once. \u201cWe were worried at first, then realised it was a test. It\u2019s a good move, but test messages should be clearly marked,\u201d he said.Authorities later confirmed it was a planned trial by National Disaster Management Authority and department of telecommunications, marking rollout of a real-time public warning system.Unlike SMS, cell broadcast technology pushes alerts simultaneously to all devices within a defined area, overriding silent and do-not-disturb settings.It requires no internet, apps or subscriptions.Alerts appear as full-screen pop-ups with a loud siren, temporarily halting other phone functions.The system, built on an indigenous platform known as SACHET and aligned with global alerting protocols, is already operational across all states and Union territories. Officials said it has enabled more than 134 billion SMS alerts so far in multiple languages for weather and disaster warnings.Saturday\u2019s drill aimed to test reach, speed and public response. Messages were delivered in regional languages alongside English and Hindi to widen comprehension. Not all devices received alerts, highlighting gaps. Some users reported one phone ringing while another beside it stayed silent \u2014 a reminder of ongoing calibration. Officials said the system will be used for earthquakes, cyclones, floods, lightning and industrial hazards such as gas leaks. Geo-targeting will allow alerts tailored to specific districts or neighbourhoods.In Bihar, authorities are planning follow-up preparedness exercises, including blackout and civil defence drills later this month to build public familiarity. \u201cIt created awareness among people,\u201d a senior official said.(Inputs from New Delhi, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad)<\/div>\n![\"134bn](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-130726301\/134bn-alerts-in-different-languages.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPhone sirens were annoying to some and scary to others<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n