China's earthquake

A day after a strong earthquake hit southwest China's Sichuan province the death toll stood at least 156 with many more injured and without homes.

Fan Bin BA1RB reported that it was a 7.0 magnitude quake in Ya'an city, Sichuan province with its epicentre near Lushan County. The Sichuan amateur radio association took immediate action with BD8DX and BD8AAA leading a team heading to the disaster area providing emergency communication services. A request is made to keep the HF frequencies of 3855kHz, 7050kHz and 14270kHz clear for disaster traffic.

Fan Bin BA1RB said that the local amateur radio repeater works fine, and is providing emergency communication for the public. BG8FUW in Lushan County, BG8EYD in Ya'an city to help provide amateur radio emergency communication. Some amateur radio operators are listening on HF while others have gone to help out in the disaster area. Saturday morning's earthquake, lasting a minute, caused landslides and disrupted phone and power connections in the mountainous Lushan county five region. The quake's shallow depth, less than 13 kms, is likely to have magnified its impact. There have been aftershocks.

Thousands of homes were destroyed when the quake struck in a rural area on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. A massive earthquake in the same region in 2008 killed 87,000. The China Earthquake Administration said at least 156 people had died, including 96 in Lushan, with more than 5,500 people injured. China Premier Li Keqiang flew to Ya'an to direct rescue efforts. The Chinese Red Cross said it had relief teams in the area with supplies of food, water, medicine and rescue equipment to the disaster areas.

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

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