Situation report on China earthquake

The involvement in the Sichuan earthquake disaster of ham radio continues with the latest report that the Red Cross has enlisted the emergency communication skills of radio amateurs.

The IARU radio society, the Chinese Radio Sports Association reports that long distance telephone services were at times congested in the Chengdu area, presumably due to a heavy demand and damage, and it was asked to set up HF station in Chengdu.

Under the callsign BT8RC it established a good channel for the Chinese Red Cross Foundation from Beijing to Chengdu. This is providing communications to enable the relief agency to more effectively carry out its work.

Other cities in the earthquake area had setup or restored VHF and UHF repeaters and amateur radio communication teams to assist with communication.

The Sichuan Radio Sports Association station BY8AA has been helping many others with communication and during one week had an operational log of 300
pages.

The CRSA sends it thanks to the amateur radio community for keeping three frequencies - 7050, 7060 and 14270 kiloHertz clear, these are continuing to be used for emergency communications.

The nation of China is in mourning for the estimated 50,000 people killed in the earthquake on the 12th of May which measured eight on the Richter scale.

It is China's most deadliest earthquake in 32 years. More than 245,000 were injured and 2 million homeless.

(Information from Fanbin/BA1RB via Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman, IARU R3 Disaster Communications Committee)

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