A Japanese official has mistakenly announced the launch of a North Korean missile instead of sending an alert about a strong earthquake that hit western Japan.
An official at the transport ministry's western Osaka aviation bureau mistakenly emailed 87 airport offices on Saturday that a North Korean missile had been launched, the ministry said.
The official was trying to send a message to check on possible airport damage immediately after the magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit the western Hyogo prefecture.
But they mistakenly dispatched a pre-prepared alert ready-to-go in the event of a North Korean missile launch.
The incorrect message was retracted six minutes later.
Japan is on alert ahead of an expected mid-range missile launch by North Korea, with Patriot missiles stationed in its capital to protect the 30 million people who live there.
