A false tsunami warning caused panic in the Galle district and resulted in an exodus from the coastal regions yesterday. Police said the alarm was raised by criminals to capitalize on the panic situation.

People in the coastal areas Galle and Hikkaduwa had run helter skelter and some of them had gone to the schools to take their children away for fear of a tsunami. Some shops had put up shutters, police said.

The Galle Police had used public address systems and assured the people that there was no tsunami threat.