Thousands of people have pledged on social media to “storm the Bermuda Triangle” as part of a spoof event that has attracted global attention.

More than 40,000 people have signed on to the “Storm the Bermuda Triangle: It can’t swallow all of us” event, created in the wake of an earlier Facebook plea for users to sign up for a raid on Area 51, part of a secretive US Air Force base in Nevada rumoured to hold alien technology and bodies.

Now the Bermuda Tourism Authority has used the popularity of the Bermuda Triangle page to invite visitors to the island.

Kevin Dallas, the BTA chief executive, said: “It may have been just a parody event, but we sent out a playful welcome via our Twitter and Facebook channels.

“The Triangle and its conspiracy theories have long been a compelling part of Bermuda’s mystique, so we certainly embrace fun opportunities like this to promote the island and the many reasons to visit us.”

The Bermuda Triangle event has been highlighted in the international media, including Time magazine in the US and The Sun and The Independent in Britain.