THE ORARI-ARES TEAM RESPONDED TO DEVASTATED NIAS ISLAND

[POST-TSUNAMI] [TSUNAMI PHOTOS] [ARES PHOTOS] [NIAS PHOTOS] [NIAS UPDATE] [NORTH SUMATRA UPDATE] [WEST SUMATRA UPDATE] [BREAKING NEWS]
# Please check regularly this daily update #

UPDATE:

6-3-2005.

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake IN THE NIAS REGION, INDONESIA has occurred at: 1.90N 97.10E Depth 30km Tue Jul 5 01:52:04 2005 UTC. Or Time Near Epicenter Tue Jul 5 08:52:04 2005.

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake IN THE NIAS REGION, INDONESIA has occurred at: 1.46N 97.10E Depth 15km Fri Jun 3 00:42:00 2005 UTC. Or Time Near Epicenter Fri Jun 3 07:42:00 2005.

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake IN THE NIAS REGION, INDONESIA has occurred at: 1.48N 97.12E Depth 14km Fri Jun 3 00:42:00 2005 UTC. Or Time Near Epicenter Fri Jun 3 07:42:00 2005.

5-14-2005. A magnitude 6.9 earthquake IN THE NIAS REGION, INDONESIA has occurred at: 0.56N 98.38E Depth 30km Sat May 14 05:05:18 2005 UTC. Or Time Near Epicenter Sat May 14 12:05:18 2005. Location with respect to nearby cities: 135 km (85 miles) SSW of Sibolga, Sumatra, Indonesia (pop 71,000), 275 km (170 miles) NW of Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia.

4-18-2005. Earl Campbell, N8TV/YB6ZEC, reported from Nias island soon after a successful installation of a wireless hot spot: "How is this for an APPO installation on the island of Nias on top of the city hall ! We are the ONLY Internet supplier on the island, free of course. This is one of the APPO SmartBridges donated to the relief effort. Well, here is one in action ! All the relief volunteers thank Smartbridges for making this happen. It is WELL used 24/7."

4-16-2005.
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 11:06:23 MST.
To: ab2qv@
Subject: 4-16-2005 11:30 pm NIAS

Preliminary numbers 4-16-2005 11:30 pm 6.0 quake 3 min in duration here on Nias.... VERY scarry. Earl N8TV/YB6ZEC.

4-8-2005. BREAKING NEWS 04-08-2005: The first ham in Nias who used a satellite-based wireless internet connection to communicate with the world outside since March 28 earthquake.

4-7-2005. BREAKING NEWS 04-07-2005: Both the earthquake and the 18 feet high tsunami hit Tabuyung village, Madina Regency, North Sumatra Province. It is a remote area with no standard infrustructure that caused its folks sent a late distress call.

4-6-2005. From aboard USNS Mercy, Mark Wolfe, N7YMW/YB6ZMW reported: "We are onsite. Sending teams ashore right now. Not sure when I'll get to go. I'm on the list though." Both hospital ships USNS Mercy and USNS Niagara Falls just arrived offshore Nias to throw their anchors. Wolfe has contacted the zulu stations through 7055MHz to report his arrival. He will always coordinate with YB6ZAH zulu station near the Pendopo building (county office) in Gunung Sitoli and Earl Campbell, N8TV/YB6ZEC, as soon as Campbell arrives in Nias. Also Wolfe will coordinate with YB6ZAG station operated by the Global Rescue Network (GRN), a group of mixed volunteers from Jakarta - including hams, doctors, rescuers, paramedics, environmental conservists and others. The GRN has some experiences in emergency services such as post-stunami relief effort in northern Sumatra.

4-5-2005. Earl Campbell, N8TV, a relief volunteer of the International Red Cross who had been in Banda Aceh just headed for Nias, and Mark Wolfe, N7YMW, a US Navy technician with USNS Mercy, were granted the zulu station calls by the ORARI-ARES of District 6/Northern Sumatra. Campbell is authorized to use YB6ZEC and Wolfe will operate using YB6ZMW while they conduct emergency services in Indonesia.

4-4-2005. Earl Campbell, N8TV, an International Red Cross volunteer team leader, will fly from Banda Aceh by UN flight heading for NIAS. Campbell will coordinate with the ORARI-ARES team in Nias. Also he will support USNS Mercy and USNS Niagara Falls' medical team in Nias. Campbell confirmed his plan to Ady Susanto, YB6VK, a radio-internet communicator for the ORARI-ARES in North Sumatra Province.

4-3-2005. Budi R. Halim, YB0HD, from the ORARI-ARES command post in Jakarta reported that Andi Suhandi, YD0WBY, and Achmad Sanusi, YC0LJH, from Jakarta were ready to go to Nias. Both are ORARI-ARES volunteers who have served in tsunami disaster area in Aceh. They have been waiting for the deployment arranged by the national coordinator of emergency management (BAKORNAS) in Jakarta. Triadi, YB0KVN, also reported from Jakarta that he has forwarded a request for more radio communicators to Lody Korua and his wife, Junita, YD0MGR, who are the coordinators of the Global Rescue Network (GRN) a group of mixed volunteers in Jakarta - including hams, doctors, rescuers, paramedics, environmental conservists and others. The GRN has some experiences in emergency services such as post-stunami relief effort in northern Sumatra.

4-2-2005. Earl Campbell, N8TV, called W. Purwinto, AB2QV, to confirm that Campbell was ready to fly to Nias. He will carry 50 lbs hamradio and internet gear.

4-1-2005. At 13.30 local time, Susanto got a call from Mark Wolfe, N7YMW, using a cellphone from the hospital ship USNS Mercy. Wolfe and the Mercy crews planned to coordinate with YB0ZR of BAKORNAS and ORARI headquarters in Jakarta, the officers of ORARI District 6/Northern Sumatra and the ORARI-ARES team in Nias. Wolfe will then communicate on HF 7055MHz and UHF 146.350MHz repeater with ARES members for emergency traffic and coordination. From ORARI HQs in Jakarta, Faisal Anwar, YB1PR, reported that the Global Rescue Network (GRN) team from Jakarta has arrived in Nias. They are granted a station call YB6ZAG from ORARI.

3-31-2005. Ady Susanto, YB6VK, a radio-and-internet emergency volunteer from North Sumatra Province reported several events mentioned below.
The ORARI-ARES station, YB6ZAH, in Gunung Sitoli has successfully transmitted on HF 7055MHz. Both YB0ZR station of the central command post in Jakarta and YB6ZAH station made a contact through 40M. Zulkarman Syafrin, YC6PLG, an ARES member of YB6ZAH, planned to go to Telukdalam, the southern town of southeast coast of Nias. He will setup an emergency station in the southeastern area, since never heard of any distress call from local people in there.

At 17.30 local time, Yaman Jaro Halawa, a non-ham, used an HT to call CQ through 146.350MHz repeater from Lolofitomoi district, 42 kilometers away from Gunung Sitoli. He reported to YB6ZES, District 6/Northern Sumatra command post in Medan, that many roads, bridges, buildings, and 90% of houses were destroyed. Only two cycle vehicle may be able to go through some roads, he said. Human casualty was not reported yet. After he accepted to be a radio communicator, ORARI District 6 granted him a callsign, YC6ZAI.

At 17.45 local time, Syukur Zebua, a non-ham, accompanied by Sidanogao District Chief Maimun Zebua, using 146.350MHz repeater to report emotionally the same situation experienced by Lolofitomoi district. On behalf of the people of his district located 30 kilometers away from Gunung Sitoli, he requested some basic supplies including food, drink, tents, lanterns and clothes. Zebua wanted voluntarily to be a radio communicator, and ORARI District 6 granted him a callsign, YC6ZAJ.