A BUNGLING defence worker who sparked a nuclear missile alert after "pushing the wrong buttons" has lost his job after saying he feels "really bad" for the life or death panic he caused.

The full-scale alarm was broadcast when the fat-fingered Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (EMA) employee made the shocking mistake during a shift handover drill at 8.07am.

5 Footage on social media appears to show people sheltering in the sewers Credit: Twitter- AnuheaPerry via Storyful

Officials said he didn't even realise what he had one until mobile phones in the command centre began displaying the alert.

"This guy feels bad, right. He's not doing this on purpose - it was a mistake on his part and he feels terrible about it," said EMA Administrator Vern Miyagi in a press conference Saturday afternoon.

Miyagi, a retired Army major general, said the employee had been with the agency for a while and revealed he would now be "counselled."

It was later reported the hapless worker had been given the boot by his bosses.

5 Hawaiians received this terrifying warning before being told it was a false alarm

Island Governor David Ige today apologised, saying: "I am sorry for the pain and confusion it caused. "I, too, am extremely upset about this and am doing everything I can do to immediately improve our emergency management systems, procedures and staffing."

Panicked Hawaiians ran for their lives after receiving this alert at 8.07am local time: "BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL."

Some hid their children in sewers after the "incoming ballistic missile" warning text fearing an attack from North Korea.

Residents of the US Pacific island last night took to Twitter to share screenshots of the alarming message which was sent out by authorities.

5 A terrified little girl tells adults 'I don't want to go in' before being lowered down Credit: Twitter- AnuheaPerry via Storyful

TV programmes – including Tottenham’s Premier League football clash with Everton – were also interrupted to warn viewers to take cover.

And footage shared on social media appears to show people climbing down into sewers to shelter from what they thought was an incoming rocket.

Two men can be seen lowering a child down in one clip after removing a manhole cover - as the petrified girl says: "I don't want to go in!"

However authorities later confirmed the panic was sparked by a mistake from the unnamed worker.

The terrifying moment Tottenham vs Everton is interrupted in Hawaii by 'incoming missile' heading towards the island false alarm message on TV

5 A sign in Oahu, Hawaii, tells residents not to worry after the false alarm Credit: Reuters

A second text was later sent telling worried residents not to panic.

It read: "There is no missile threat or danger to the state of Hawaii.

"Repeat. False alarm."

Officials have now promised to build a “cancellation template” to make it easier to correct mistakes and instituted a new system to ensure two people must sign off on future alerts.

Scott Saiki, the speaker of Hawaii’s state legislature, said the current system had clearly failed miserably.

The false Hawaii missile alert was caused by an employee pushing the wrong button, governor says

5 Hawaii is now considered to be within range of Kim Jong-un's ballistic missiles Credit: AP:Associated Press

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“Clearly, government agencies are not prepared and lack the capacity to deal with emergency situations,” he said in a statement.

The warning came amid growing tensions in the region over a possible nuclear threat from North Korea.

Hawaii is now considered to be within range of Kim Jong-un nukes as the dictator seeks to develop weapons capable of targeting the US mainland.

The state was the first to bring back the Cold War-era early warning system, with the sirens tested on the island last month.

Hawaii accidentally warns citizens of incoming missile

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