AREN

Received from Greg Mossop, IARU Region 1 Emergency Communications Co-Ordinator:

Still playing a role after the earthquake that hit the Christchurch area of New Zealand since Tuesday 22 February, swinging into action from day one.

The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (AREC) reports that until todays movement from a rescue to a recovery phase all engagement had been with rescue teams.

AREC spokesman Stuart Smart ZL4FZ says, “At this stage we are still extensively supporting the urban rescue operation.
“There are about 250 staff in the field and all of that communication is coming back through AREC.”

AREC members are trained for such disasters and are a part of the normal response under arrangements with New Zealand Civil Defence and Emergency Management.

Its operations have been confined to VHF frequencies and avoided use of HF channels identified for that purpose.

The Christchurch Mayor Bob Chapman announced the switch to the recovery phase with death toll of 161 and 200 missing.

Some 67% of affected people have had water supplies restored, and even fewer are reconnected to the sewer, while 27,000 are without power.

The Minister of Civil Defence declared a State of National Emergency which has been extended until midnight 7 March.

Received from Greg Mossop, IARU Region 1 Emergency Communications Co-Ordinator:

The death toll stands at 75, dozens yet to be rescued from beneath buildingrubble, and hundreds of people still missing are still the desperate scene 24 hours after an earthquake struck the Christchurch area of New Zealand.

The massive rescue effort that now involves 300 rescuers boosted by urban experts from Australia has rescued 20 people so far and Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said a pocket of 15 had been found in the TV3 building, the heart of local television production.

Meantime under normal arrangements, the members of Amateur Radio Emergency Communication (AREC) were busy. Check out the NZART website under ?What and Who is AREC?. A report on the frequencies in use or activities was yet to be received.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said a State of Emergency continued and those in the affected areas needed to keep their resolve and good spirits as the whole country was right behind them. He acknowledged the support already
given and being offered from overseas.

The earthquake disaster bill of last September (7.1 at a depth of more than 30 metres) was put at $8 billion but the latest quake (6.3 and at a depth of just five kilometres) could be double that amount.

Christchurch and its surrounding areas account for 500,000 people, about half the population of the South Island of New Zealand.

Received from IARU Region 1 Emergency Communications Co-Ordinator

Hours ahead face rescuers following the devastating, shallow 6.3 on the Richter scale earthquake which struck the heavily populated business area of Greater Christchurch in New Zealand.

There are initial reports of 17 deaths in the second quake to hit since September last year. Under normal arrangements members of the AREC will find their services in use again. Reports are expected.

Communications and power has been cut in many areas, and water supplies disrupted.

The utter devastation has severely damaged many of the major buildings including the cathedral in central Christchurch.

Nearby towns have also been affected.
While the 7.1 earthquake last September was more than 30km underground, the latest 6.3 quake was a mere five kilometres in depth. It has been followed by major aftershocks.