Nepal earthquake report The rescue and recovery work is continuing after the devastating 7.8 on the Ritcher scale earthquake that claimed at least 3,200 lives, with many missing, and widespread damage in Nepal. The Nepal Amateur Radio Society is providing emergency communications. Satish Krishna Kharel 9N1AA reports that with help from VU2 in India and others work is continuing. This includes the use of four wheel drive vehicles. Satish 9N1AA said information has already been provided on the status of about 80 loved ones of foreign radio amateurs and others. He was using solar power in coordination with the Nepal police in Kathmandu. Also sharing the emcomm work with Suresh Upreti 9N1HA. The earthquake on April 25 caused landslides on Mount Everest during the climbing season, where some lives of mountaineers and others were lost. The capital of Kathmandu was among the areas hit. An emergency net on 20 metres on 14.205 and/or 14.215 MHz, has Jayu Bhide VU2JAU/AT150ITU, the Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI) National Coordinator for Disaster Communication, as net controller. Other VUs are involved. Activity has also been reported on 7.100, 18.160 and 21.360 MHz. Nepal's first Amateur Radio repeater, set up in 2012 by the National Society for Earthquake Technology, had a dozen hams who previously engaged in simulated emergency tests. The 9N1KS repeater 434.500 MHz in and 145.000 MHz out, is on the outskirts of Kathmandu with coverage into the Kathmandu Valley. There is no cross-border movement so far of radio equipment and radio amateurs. Jim Linton VK3PC Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee. Follow Southgate News on Twitter Like us on Facebook
The US Pacific Command All Partners Access Network (USPACOM APAN) Humanitarian Assistance / Disaster Relief (HA/DR) web portal has great info too. Note under the FILES tab, Imagery link, several photos relayed by HF Slow Scan. https://community.apan.org/pacom-hadr/nepal_hadr/default.aspx
I just read an email to ARSI members from Gopal Madhavan VU2GMN, President of ARSI (Amateur Radio Society of India), Director/Chairman Region 3 of IARU as below: Immediately after the earthquake struck VU2JAU OM Jayu, The Emergency Communications Coordinator of ARSI,, swung into action and set up a communications bridge with Nepal. 9N1AA OM Satish has been the primary contact as he lives near the airport and so was lucky to have uninterrupted power. Several other hams, including various DX operators, rallied to the effort and an almost 24 hours link was operated with net control being taken up by one or other from time to time. As ham radio became a vital link, we enquired of Satish as to what was needed and he gave me a list of items that could help them in getting better communications going. One item was 40 /80 Meter dipoles and coax cable so that the HF radios they have could be immediately deployed. ARSI ( VU2GGM, VU2 LU and others in Bangalore made up 10 such antennae) and with the help of VU2JHM handed them over to a group of doctors flying out of Bangalore at 0300 HRS this morning. The flight should have landed just a while ago and the antennas could be deployed immediately assisting with communications within Nepal from different areas. They have also requested for other material and this is being organized through ARRL, after Dave Sumner K1ZZ of ARRL gave me a call and asked as to what was needed. Sean Kelly, a very senior ham working for Amphenol Corporation in the USA, is helping by coordinating collection of material into their Pune unit ( which I helped set up between 1970 and 1974) and then transporting them to Nepal. So a joint effort is being made to supply amateur radio stuff that will help Nepal set up a better system of ham radio communications to better deal with situations like we have now. All requests for material aid were channeled to the appropriate authorities and several countries have already supplied a lot of material. Doctors, nurses, relief workers, search and rescue teams were also requested and India and other countries are rushing men and material. Several planes from India have been busy transporting men and material and bringing back trapped persons. ARSI, and others in India and abroad, hope to continue with the efforts over the coming weeks.
