A TV station is expected to be sued by Georgian opposition party over a fake news report that Russia had invaded the country and President Mikheil Saakashvili was dead.

According to the reports of RIA Novosti, the Democratic Movement-United Georgia party, led by former parliamentary speaker Nino Burdzhanadze, says it is preparing the lawsuit against the private Imedi TV channel, which showed the footage Saturday evening.

The broadcast, meant to illustrate a studio discussion, began with a warning that the program was a "simulation" showing what could happen, "If Georgian society is not brought together against Russia's plans" and ended by saying the events depicted never happened.

However there were no hints between the program which to panic among many viewers, who deluged the station with calls. The program included clips of residents trying to flee Tbilisi and reported panic in Gori, Mtskheta and other regions and the murder of Saakashvili.

The report "caused a big concern among the citizens" and ran an apology as a scroll at the bottom of the screen, Imedi TV said.

A spokeswoman for Saakashvili said, "I can say with confidence that, on the declaration of the president, real danger, which was imagined in the transmission does not currently exist for our country."