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Lima —A powerful earthquake struck off Peru’s coast early yesterday, prompting a US agency to issue a tsunami threat message for parts of the country and neighbouring Chile.

The US Geological Survey reported that the temblor had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3. There have been no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The epicentre was 42km south-southwest of Acari, with the earthquake hitting at 09:18 GMT at a depth of 12.1km.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said that “hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts”.

A statement says that tsunami waves reaching 0.3 metres to one metre “above the tide level are possible for some coasts of Peru”.

It also says waves are forecast to be less than 0.3 metres for the coasts of Chile.

Meanwhile, an alert warning of an incoming ballistic missile aimed at Hawaii was sent in error on Saturday, sowing panic and confusion across the US state – which is already on edge over the risk of attack – before officials dubbed it a “false alarm”.

Emergency management officials eventually determined the notification was sent just after 08:00 (18:00 GMT) during a shift change and a drill after “the wrong button was pushed” – a mistake that lit up phones across the archipelago with a disturbing alert urging people to “seek immediate shelter”.

There were frenzied scenes of people rushing to safety – a bathtub, a basement, a manhole, cowering under mattresses.

Adventurer Alison Teal called it “the worst moment of my life”.

The erroneous message came after months of soaring tensions between Washington and Pyongyang, with North Korea saying it has successfully tested ballistic missiles that could deliver atomic warheads to the United States, including the chain of volcanic islands.

“I deeply apologise for the trouble and heartbreak that we caused today,” said Vern Miyagi, administrator of Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency.

“We’ve spent the last few months trying to get ahead of this whole threat, so that we could provide as much notification and preparation to the public.

“We made a mistake,” he acknowledged in a press conference. “We’re going to take processes and study this so that this doesn’t happen again.

“The governor has directed that we hold off any more tests until we get this squared away.”

As social media ignited with screenshots of the cell phone emergency warning, Representative Tulsi Gabbard quickly tweeted that it was a “FALSE

ALARM,” with Hawaii’s EMA confirming “there is NO missile threat to Hawaii.”

US military spokesperson David Benham later said US Pacific Command “has detected no ballistic missile threat to Hawaii. Earlier message was sent in error.”—AFP.