BREAKING NEWS 4-12-2005
15:00EST
THE ORARI-ARES OF WEST SUMATRA PROVINCE RESPONDED TO THE EARTHQUAKE LOCATED IN MOUNT TALANG
The ORARI (Organization of Amateur Radio for Indonesia) 5th District/West Sumatra Province executed the highest level of alert (Siaga-1) following the earthquake occurred at 03:05 local time Tuesday morning 4-12-2005 located in mount Talang near Solok city, West Sumatra. Zuhrizal Oyong, YB5BO, who is a coordinator of the ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) and a chief of the technical and operational unit of the ORARI's 5th District of West Sumatra Province reported it from the capital city of Padang. West Sumatra has several active volcanoes include mount Merapi and mount Singgalang near Bukittinggi city, mount Talang near Solok city, mount Tandikat near Pariaman city and mount Kerinci in southeastern region bordering with Jambi Province.
Some local sources believed that April 10 6.8 magnitude undersea quake located near Siberut island, Mentawai islands region, triggered the active volcano. No significant casualty reported from the area yet. Nevertheless, due to several small explosions that generated its flares, sparks and dust, some 23,000 residents around the volcano have to be evacuated to 24 refugee camps located in 7 sub-districts. On Tuesday afternoon, the explosions were getting slow down and finally over. Yusman Dato Rajo Alam, YC5DTR, who is a coordinator of the local ORARI-ARES reported it from YC5ZAH zulu station in Solok. Rajo Alam and his team setup the ARES command posts around mount Talang and Kembar Alahan Panjang lake by using a zulu station call: YB5ZAK.
Oyong said that all ORARI-ARES volunteers in the cities of Padang, Solok, Padang Panjang, Sawah Lunto, Pariaman, Bukittinggi, Payakumbuh, Batusangkar and Muaro, have been on standby alert mode since Tuesday morning. While the ARES's mobile units of Padang executed and coordinated by Oyong including Erwin Kahar, YC5FVE, Catrine M., YC5JYA, Husni Thamrin, YD5JAU, Mufidhi Surya, YD5DSF, Erwin Nazar, YD5JTP, and Syarif, YD5JYX, have been under operation mode since their prompt response to April 10 undersea quake in Mentawai region. They have been patrolling Padang and its vicinity. In addition, Edrizal, YD5DFB, has also been under standby alert at his location in Labuan Bajau village, Sikabaluan, upper Siberut island.
The zulu stations that have been on alert mode include YB5ZA for ORARI's 5th district office, YB5ZAA and YB5ZBA for the local ORARI in Padang. They used 145.0MHz and 145.83MHz repeaters for Solok, 145.5MHz repeater for Padang, the 5th District's 146.26MHz (103.5PLT) repeater on Singgalang mountain and 7065KHz HF frequency for their emergency traffic.
Acknowledgment: Zuhrizal Oyong, YB5BO, of ORARI-ARES in Padang, West Sumatra, for sharing the information used in this account.
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BREAKING NEWS 4-11-2005
THE ORARI-ARES OF WEST SUMATRA PROVINCE STANDBY ALERT AND MONITOR
Zuhrizal Oyong, YB5BO, who is an advance amateur class operator from West Sumatra Province, reported that following the 6.8 magnitude undersea quake located near Mentawai islands that strongly shook the region the ORARI-ARES of District 5/West Sumatra Province began standby at 04:00 local time on Monday 4-11-2005. Later since Monday morning several zulu stations of the ORARI local or city offices have also been on alert and standby monitor mode.
On Monday afternoon, Oyong updated his report that since Monday morning an ARES mobile unit coordinated by Husni Thamrin, YD5JAU, and Surya, YD5DSF, from ARES of Padang capital city, has been patrolling along west coast of Padang. Their operation has been monitored by YC5CH, The chief of ORARI District 5/West Sumatra Province, and YB5BA, the chief of ORARI Padang office. The mobile unit did not find any casualty yet.
Meanwhile, from Labuan Bajau village, near Sikabaluan town, north side of Siberut island - Mentawai region, Erizal, YD5DFB, reported through ARES's emergency VHF frequency at 15:05 local time that so far there was no casualty found in North Siberut, Sipora island and other smaller islands in the region. Whereas, in South Siberut island a high school building was 40% damaged. Yet no human casualty found.
Farther observation in Mentawai islands is still undergoing.
On Monday night, Oyong updated his report again. He said that there were three people have died in west of West Sumatra Province. One person has died after he got buried under sliding soil in Ngarai Sianok near Bukittinggi city. Two persons have died in Padang. When earthquake occurred one of the two was panic and got traffic accident before he died. Another one got a heart attack and then died. The ORARI-ARES volunteers of District 5/West Sumatra Province have still been on alert and standingby monitor until this Tuesday morning. The ORARI-ARES mobile unit of Padang is still patrolling along the beach side of Padang city.
BACKGROUND:
A magnitude 6.8 undersea quake in Mentawai islands region has occurred at: 1.62S 99.56E Depth 30km Sun Apr 10 10:29:13 2005 UTC Time. Or Time Near Epicenter Sun Apr 10 17:29:13 2005. Location with respect to nearby city: 110 km (70 miles) South West of Padang, the capitol city of West Sumatra Province, Indonesia. This quake has rocked Mentawai islands and West Sumatra Province. People in Padang felt very strong tremor. Since then many undersea quakes - at least ten quakes above 5.0 magnitude - occurred near by the 6.8 magnitude quake until Monday morning 4-11-2005. It has been reported that there was a few of smaller magnitude undersea quakes occurred near Mentawai islands until Tuesday early morning. Mentawai islands are located 225 km (200 miles) southeast of Nias island or 770 km (700 miles) southeast of Banda Aceh.
A week after Banyak island earthquake that destroyed Nias island, or a week before Mentawai islands earthquakes it was several earthquakes occurred near Batu island. Batu islands are located between Nias island and Mentawai islands. Moreover, before and after December 26 9.0 magnitude undersea quake generating a massive tsunami, Andaman islands and Nicobar islands in Burma microplate experienced quakes everyday. It is proven that Sunda/Java Trench - a line started from Burma microplate to southeastern regions off west coast of Sumatra island - become an unstable earth fracture.
Since day one after Indian Ocean tsunami, the Indonesian Amateur Radio Emergency Services has been under alert and standby mode. Many domestic and international radio emergency volunteers have already been deployed and assisted Aceh Province and North Sumatra Province, to provide a vital radio communication to replace any conventional communication that has been damaged by the tsunami and undersea quakes.
W.Purwinto, AB2QV, dx emergency support, syracuse, new york
http://www.qsl.net/ab2qv/breakingnews.htm
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