Zimbabwean gov’t miscommunication causes drill to be reported as a real plane crash

[Ian David]

Source: BNO News

Zimbabwean gov’t miscommunication causes drill to be reported as a real plane crash
August 5, 2010. 06:53 EST

HARARE (BNO NEWS) -- Confusion at Zimbabwe's Civil Aviation Authority on Thursday caused international news agencies to report that a Boeing 767 had been involved in an accident at Harare International Airport.

David Chawota, the General Manager and CEO of the country's Civil Aviation Authority, initially told BNO News and other international news agencies that a Boeing 767 had been involved in an accident. "There was an accident," he said. "We will give you more information in a few minutes."

<snip>

But, the 'accident' turned out to be an annual disaster preparedness exercise held at the airport. "It's a simulation," an official at Medical Rescue International in Zimbabwe said. "It's to test all the agencies."

The official said Thursday's exercise simulated a large passenger plane that had run off the end of the runway, crashed and caught fire. "It simulated there were 140 casualties," he said.

<snip

Strangely, Chawota was no longer available for comment after the accident turned out to be a drill.



Read more: http://bnonews.com/urgent/5792/zimbabwean-govt-miscommunication-causes-drill-to-be-reported-as-a-real-plane-crash/

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Also, according to Michael van Poppel of BNO News, the media was deliberately lied to so that they would respond realistically as part of the drill.

Zimbabwean Civil Aviation Authority via AP: "Telling the media was part of the exercise. We wanted to see how the media would react."

[LostinVA]

1. At least the media there is sued to being lied to