Emergency communications in earthquake-hit Chile

Sad news continues to be received about the loss of life and property, and hardship being experienced following the February 27 earthquake in Chile.

Radio Club de Chile (RCCH) President, Dr Galdino Besomi CE3PG (pictured right) has advised the International Amateur Radio Union that in response to the disaster the Emergency Net was activated for the entire country.

Initially VHF communications were established and then HF links with RCCH members actively working in close coordination with both civil and military
authorites undertaking rescue, recovery and humanitarian operations.

The IARU Centre of Activity emergency frequencies and others continue to be in use on the 80m, 40m, 20m 15m and 10m bands.

IARU Region 2 Area Emergency Coordinator Jorge Sierra, LU1AS reports that traffic on the 40m band has included health and welfare inquiries with people seeking information about the well-being of their relatives and friends in
the affected areas of southern Chile.

The death toll following the 8.8 Richter scale magnitude earthquake is about 800 with authorities expecting to rise further as rescue crews dig into more collapsed buildings and find bodies.

More than 500,000 structures were destroyed and millions of people displaced or left homeless.

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