BY CARLOS ALBERTO SANTAMARÍA GONZÁLEZ, CO2JC
IARU R2 Emergency Coordinator
COLOMBIA. (IARU). — On the morning of Monday, August 10, several regions of Colombia were shaken by an earthquake. According to data from the Colombian Geological Service, the quake occurred at 07:34 local time, with its epicentre located in the municipality of San José del Palmar, Chocó (at coordinates 5.04°N, -76.34°W).
The event registered a magnitude of 7.4 and a depth of 96 km. Subsequently, there were several aftershocks exceeding magnitude 2.0, including one of 4.8 at 08:18 local time.
Minutes later, we made contact with Faber Mosquera (HK6F), the emergency coordinator for the Colombian Amateur Radio League. He informed us that damage assessments were underway in the departments of the Coffee Axis and the Colombian Pacific coast—the areas most severely affected—and that he was already coordinating with the National Disaster Risk Management System.
From the very beginning, we were also in contact with emergency coordinators from Guatemala, Cuba, Venezuela, Honduras, El Salvador, and Ecuador—as well as Greg Mossop (G0DUB), the emergency coordinator for Region 1 of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU R1, covering Europe and Africa)—to provide information and assistance.
By gathering information from the Colombian government, the press, and amateur radio operators, we have obtained data regarding the impact of the earthquake.
Abelardo De La Espriella, the Colombian president who recently took office, provided a preliminary assessment of the casualties and damage caused by the event: 111 dead, 87 injured, 1,575 homes damaged, 37 homes completely destroyed, 61 buildings collapsed, 18 health centers damaged, 52 educational centers damaged, 17 community centers damaged, 18 roads damaged, 6 airports with infrastructure damage and no commercial flight operations, and another air terminal with runway damage.
Members of the [Liga Colombiana de Radioaficionados — LCRA] are already deploying alongside the Colombian Red Cross to provide communications support in the wake of the disaster.
In Colombia, the [LCRA] uses the International Amateur Radio Union Region 2 (IARU R2) frequencies for emergency communications, as follows:
80m: 3985 kHz LSB
40m: 7060, 7240, and 7275 kHz LSB
20m: 14300 kHz USB
17m: 18160 kHz USB
15m: 21360 kHz USB
2m: 146.520 MHz (FM simplex)
We ask all fellow radio amateurs to keep these frequencies +/-5kHz at least clear and simply monitor them.
We appreciate the collaboration of José Fernando Velez, HK4VEL, who is likewise supporting LCR communications.
