TSF praises speedy action after L'Aquila earthquake

Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) praised the Italian authorities for swiftly re-establishing communications after the earth quake in L'Aquila on 6 April that claimed around 300 lives.

The Inmarsat-sponsored emergency communications aid agency swiftly deployed with the primary task of identifying any shortfall in communications for relief agencies and the population as the earthquake left 20,000 people homeless.

Co-ordinating centreTSF spokesman Oisin Walton said: "We installed a fax connected to BGAN for rescue teams at the co-ordinating centre in L'Aquila, but there was no need for internet using BGAN and most survivors had their own mobile phones.

"Our objective was mainly to make sure both aid agencies and the population had communications, which was the case. The Italian Civil Security services were extremely well organised and communication networks were fixed within a matter of hours."

This was TSF's second mission to Italy - the NGO intervened in the Aoste valley in 2000 after heavy floods. In the past 10 years TSF has deployed to 11 earthquakes worldwide.

Source: Inmarsat