A mass emergency warning about the high risk of bushfires in England and Wales could reveal secret phones used by victims of domestic violence, rights groups have warned, BBC News reports.
Millions of residents received a loud notification on their cellphones Friday evening warning of a "very high risk of wildfires" across the country.
This message became the largest use of the British emergency notification system.
However, the authorities hardly warned the population about this shipment in advance. This has caused concern among organizations that help victims of domestic violence. many of them use a second, hidden phone to secretly contact relatives, social services or aid organizations.
The Women's Aid charitable organization has stated that it is extremely important to keep such phones secret, as a sudden loud beep can attract the attention of the aggressor. Activists have called on the government to provide advance warning of such notices where possible and to consider the risks to the most vulnerable groups.
The government announced that the notification was sent at the direct request of the fire and rescue services. On that day, 43 forest fires were extinguished in the country, and emergency situations were declared in 11 cases. The authorities emphasized that the system is designed to convey vitally important information to the population.
