Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Cosmos Rays Panic



http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Srinagar/Mars-attack-rumours-keep-Kashmir-sleepless/Article1-972049.aspx

Hindustan Times
12 December 2012


HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times

Srinagar, December 12, 2012

12/12/12 spawned a dozen hoaxes, but the one that was most hilarious kept people in the Valley up all night and the state government busy firefighting through the day. The message, purportedly from NASA and the BBC, advised people to switch off their cellphones from 12.30 to 3.30 am on Tuesday as “cosmos rays are entering the Earth from Mars”. The message even warned people to keep away the cellphones from their body because “cosmos” rays are dangerous. [...]

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mars-as-foreign-hand-kashmir-spends-night-in-fear-of-cosmic-rays-via-phone/1044613/

The Indian Express
13 December 2012


Mir Ehsan : Srinagar

Late on Tuesday night, residents across Kashmir scrambled to switch off their mobile phones. The reason was not pesky calls but another ‘incoming’ hazard: a rumour that harmful “cosmic rays” were going to enter Earth via the phones from Mars, and set off blasts.

The government finally had to step in and make announcements on radio and television, threatening to book people spreading the rumour, to quell the panic. [...]