A Jordanian newspaper's April Fool's Day report chronicling a late-night visit by 10-foot-tall aliens in flying saucers sparked public panic and almost led to the town's emergency evacuation, officials said yesterday
A Jordanian newspaper's April Fool's Day report chronicling a late-night visit by 10-foot-tall aliens in flying saucers sparked public panic and almost led to the town's emergency evacuation, officials said yesterdayThe Al Ghad newspaper published a front-page article on April 1 about the fake UFO landing near the desert town of Jafr, some 300 kilometres from the capital, Amman.
The report said the UFOs lit up the whole town, interrupted communications and sent fearful residents streaming into the streets. Jafr's Mayor Mohammed Mleihan, got caught up in the paper's prank and said he sent security authorities in search of the aliens.
"Students didn't go to school, their parents were frightened and I almost evacuated the town's 13,000 residents," Mleihan said.
Suing the paper?
A Jordanian security official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss security issues, said an emergency plan was almost enacted in Jafr. Mleihan said he may sue the daily for its "big lie," but added that the paper had called to apologise for the inconvenience caused by the joke.
Al Ghad's managing editor, Moussa Barhoumeh, tried to defuse the situation, saying the report has been "blown out of proportion."
"We meant to entertain, not scare people," he added.
