Inmarsat kept mudslide rescue teams online

Twenty-four organizations involved in the emergency rescue and recovery operation following the Philippines mudslide disaster benefited from Inmarsat satellite communications.

An Inmarsat-sponsored aid agency said that during the 15 days of its mission to the Philippines, satellite connections proved vital in enabling updated situation reports and assessments of the population's needs to be sent rapidly.

Inmarsat launched its operation after the disaster on February 17 when Guisagon - a village of about 2,000 inhabitants situated on Leyte Island - was buried under 35 metres of mud.

The mudslide swallowed hundreds of homes and may have claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people. About 580 people are known to have survived.

The Asia-based Iridium aid team arrived in remote Leyte province within two days of the mudslide, ahead of United Nations representatives, and set up a telecommunications centre to help speed up the emergency response.

Inmarsat BGAN voice and broadband data terminals were made available to 17 emergency organizations that day.

Aid technicians were able to collate and distribute information needed to manage the disaster response, including real-time weather forecast monitoring updates, and transmitting photographic data to the country's capital, Manila, to aid strategic planning.

The disaster also saw the BBC become the first news organization to file TV reports using the new BGAN terminal from Hughes Network Systems, the HNS 9201.

In its final report on the exercise, Inmarsat says it concentrated its efforts on providing assistance to agencies engaged in saving lives.

The mudslide affected a 9 sq km area and although the landline and cellphone infrastructures were not disrupted, it was essential to make broadband internet connections available for rescue teams, says the Inmarsat summary.

Within 48 hours of the disaster striking, Inmarsat had deployed a telecom centre for all United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and rescue teams working in the affected zone.

The centre provided broadband internet connections, phone and fax lines and technical assistance for all the organizations involved in emergency relief efforts.

"In total, during the 15 days of TSF's mission, 24 organizations benefited from satellite connections. This enabled situation reports and population needs assessments to be sent rapidly.

"Inmarsat's aid team, which recently became an official partner of Unosat - the United Nations initiative to provide the humanitarian community with access to satellite imagery and geographic information systems - provided hardcopy printing and digital copies of maps put online by the agency.

"These maps notably enabled rescue teams to determine the exact location of the school buried under heavy mud. Between 250 and 300 children were in class that morning.

"Beyond the support in satellite telecommunications, Inmarsat aid specialists centralized and disseminated indispensable information to facilitate co-ordination of all emergency actors involved.

"Inmarsat also made available all resources and National Disaster Co-ordinating Council (NDCC), United Nations and NGO official documents - maps, assessments, contacts and photos.

"This information was made available online and through hard copies. Daily minutes from NGO co-ordination meetings were also posted.

"Being able to follow the weather forecast in real time was also important to inform rescue teams in case of risk of new mudslides."

Archives: (2005 ) / (2006)