Earthquake hit Ya'an city Sichuan province China

[IK0ZCW]

Saturday, 20 April 2013 14:26

Today 8:02am, a 7.0 scale earthquake hit Ya'an city, Sichuan province in China. The epicenter was near Lushan County. As of 17:24 today, 113 persons were killed and more than 2,000 were injured. 


After the disaster, The Sichuan amateur radio association took immediate actions, BD8DX and BD8AAA lead team heading to disaster area providing emergency communication services. 
The local amateur radio repeater works fine, and provided emergency communication for the public. BG8FUW in Lushan county, BG8EYD in Ya'an city help providing amateur radio emergency communication.


Some amateur radio operators watches on HF or went to disaster area to help disaster relief. 
Today is also the GlobalSet emergency simulation test second session. China HQ station BY3CQ made a QSO with BG8DE, who was on the way to the earthquake area to help disaster relief.


CRSA / CRAC call for all amateur radio operators, to avoid 3855 kHz, 7050 kHz and 14270 kHz on short wave for possible interference on disaster relief use.

[IK0ZCW]

Written by G0DUB
Sunday, 21 April 2013 10:54

The earthquake has killed 179 people and injured 6986. Hundreds of amateur radio operators went to Ya'an helping disaster relief. The disaster happened as the Global Simulated Emergency Test was underway headed in China by station BY3CQ and others - BG8EIU, BG8FCK, BG8DE, BG8FPB, BY8DX, BH8AHU, BA8IK and BG8EBB - who are now either helping on HF, VHF or in the disaster area. Fan Bin BA1RB contacted this morning Liu Hu BD8AAA who is in the epicentre at Lushan county.

The following updates are available:

1. Public communication is normal in Ya'an and Lushan, the UHF and VHF repeaters work fine to provide effective communication. While in some remote rural areas, the communication is still needed to be established. Amateur Radio teams are actively helping build up the communications.

2. The government has more experiences to organise the disaster relief, amateur radio operators were organised and provided help based on government needs.

3. Because suddenly there are too many vehicles coming into Ya'an city and Lushan county, the transportation traffic condition is severe.

There are 8 amateur radio teams, more than 200 amateur radio operators helping local transportation department to relieve traffic congestion. The request to keep the HF frequencies of 3855kHz, 7050kHz and 14270kHz clear for disaster traffic remains. The Sichuan amateur radio association took immediate action with BA8DX (not BD8DX as earlier report) and BD8AAA leading a team heading to the disaster

73 de BA1RB / Fanbin

[IK0ZCW]

Written by G0DUB
Monday, 22 April 2013 08:05

The rescue and relief efforts after Saturday's southwest China Ya'an earthquake is continuing with the number of lives lost officially at 188 people, 25 are missing and 11,460 injured.

While radio amateurs continue to help with relief efforts, Fan Bin BA1RB says that public communication is back to normal in the disaster area. He said the CRSA/CRAC no longer required 3855kHz, 7050kHz and 14270kHz as emergency communication frequencies. It expressed thanks for the support from IARU member societies and others during the disaster.

It rained in the earthquake area last night. Effective traffic control has been very important to transport tents, water, foods and medicines into the area. The rural communities around Ya'an city are along the same seismic fault where the Great Sichuan Earthquake killed more than 90,000 people five years ago, in one of China\'s worst natural disasters. The latest earthquake on Saturday left tens of thousands of people in tents or cars, unable to return home or too afraid to go back as aftershocks continued. Badly hit Lushan County is now a large refugee camp, with tents set up and volunteers providing meals.

Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman of the IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee with help of Fin Ban BA1RB