Barker wrong to blame BBC, says tsunami man

The BBC's man in New Zealand says Civil Defence Minister Rick Barker is wrong to blame the broadcaster over the tsunami-warning debacle.

"If Mr Barker wants accurate reporting, the [New Zealand] Civil Defence will have to give the BBC something to report," Greg Ward told the Herald yesterday.

Mr Barker accused the broadcaster and other international news organisations of causing panic among Gisborne residents.

Many people - some dazed and pyjama-clad - fled the expected tsunami on the strength of phonecalls from concerned relatives and friends overseas.

"Misreporting by the BBC overnight led many people to believe a tsunami was heading for New Zealand. It was not," Mr Barker said.

But Ward, an Auckland media consultant and BBC World Service correspondent, said blame for the confusion lay with Civil Defence and its lack of communication with other agencies and media.

He said he had been woken about 4.30am on Thursday and told of the tsunami threat by news chiefs in London.

He was told in a 4.55am call to Auckland police that a tsunami caused by a large earthquake near Tonga was on its way to Gisborne and was expected to make landfall at 6.21am.

After informing London of the impending tidal wave, he did interviews for "about five" BBC services, all the while trying "flat-out" to get more confirmation from Civil Defence.

Ward said he had tried until 6am to contact Civil Defence workers in Gisborne, but had received no response.

He was told during an earlier call to Gisborne Hospital that off-duty medical staff had been called in and emergency planning was underway.

He was finally told by BBC staff in London just after 6am that the tsunami warning had been downgraded.

When he finally managed to contact Gisborne Civil Defence, between 6.15am and 6.30am, he received a scolding for the BBC's coverage, which, he was told, had left many people "alarmed".

Ward asked the Civil Defence worker why he had not contacted the BBC to tell them of the downgrade and was told "because he was busy".

The Government has ordered a review of Civil Defence operations in the wake of the tsunami blunder.