The country of Georgia was set in about in a frenzy on Saturday after a television news program announced that the Russian army had invaded and killed President Mikhail Saakashvili.
The private television station Imedi showed the report at 8 p.m. Saturday evening, complete with voiceover commentary on ‘live’ video showing Russian tanks and fighter jets operating inside the country.
Georgians rushed to gas stations and ATMs, and the country’s wireless network crashed under the weight of fearful calls.
The news program preceded the clip with a clear warning which labeled the program as fictitious, but many missed it and took it for the real thing.
In all, the panic was said to have lasted less than three hours.