India & Natural Disaster Management

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Apr 2015 02:39

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/brit ... d-to-nepal

The Department for International Development has deployed a team of more than 60 search and rescue responders and medical experts as part of a cross-government capacity surge to support the relief effort in Nepal, International Development Secretary Justine Greening announced this evening.

A DFID-chartered flight is due to leave London this evening for Kathmandu. It will be carrying:

seven UK International Search and Rescue crews, four search and rescue dogs, a medical support team and a hazardous materials specialist. They will take with them more than 11 tonnes of kit, including torches, axes, rope, search cameras, stretchers and tents;
trauma medics travelling as part of a DFID-deployed UK Med team;
a five-strong Foreign Office Rapid Deployment Team who will provide further consular assistance for British nationals affected by the disaster; and
experts from leading aid agencies including the British Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières and Map Action, an international disaster mapping charity. They will join the growing international aid effort in Kathmandu and help direct much-needed assistance.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 27 Apr 2015 02:43

Singapore’s government said its Civil Defense Force was to send a 55-man search-and-rescue team while members of country’s armed forces would also support the relief efforts with deployment of “suitable resources”.

From the Japan Today link.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/27/world ... .html?_r=0

Several European governments also have offered financial resources and personnel. On Sunday, the British government said it had made $7.5 million available to charities already working in Nepal so that they could buy essential supplies. Norway has pledged $4 million, while other European countries, like Germany, France and Spain, said they would offer financial support.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Apr 2015 02:57

Running total:

1. India: Not possible to count
2. Bakistan: 30 bed field hospital + 2 or 4 C130 loads
3. China: 62.
4. UK: 67 incl? 10 from hampshire.
5. US: 57 (LA) + (70) VA/Fairfax/DART/C17 + 20/C130.
6. Israel: 260 + lead time (xx bed field hospital)
7. Singapore: (some ??)
8. Malaysia: (some ??)
9. Thailand: 1 C130 load.
10. Sri Lanka: (some ??) + 1 C130 load
11. Russia: 90 +2 plane loads (warning, these are il76s, not c17s).
12. japan: 70, 4 dogs, 1 plane load looking for japanese citizens.
13. Germany: 52, dogs?, stuff?
14. Canada: xx people in a DART team, $5m
14. France: 11! Eleven.
15. Ireland: 7 MSF teams.
16. Aus:$5m. people?
17. SA: nothing?
18. Singapore: 1 team. 69 people, $50k? 2 aircraft. 55 people in 2nd team or the same?
19. South Korea: $1m.
20. Norway: $4m.
21. UAE: 88 people.

Aircraft? Helicopters? Any other equipment from anyone outside India?

Still just a few thousand from outside india. Maybe 10k total now? Too few. Too late. Too little. Recovery will take quite a bit of time. Only a few thousand are making it outside from kathmandu each day. What are these planes taking teams IN bringing out? There is no room at KTM tarmac.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Apr 2015 03:27

AP says these people will take your money!

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/8f0cacfc ... ke-victims

absolute and complete censorship of indian role:

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/bd6639ea ... uake-gears

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Apr 2015 03:36

This will get the aid/helicopters moving:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asi ... ?tid=sm_tw

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Apr 2015 05:02

This is what the "world" media is saying:

1. CNN -- http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/26/asia/nepal-earthquake/ --nothing of the rescue. downright foul article.
2. Reuters -- http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/ ... FA20150426 --3 dead from US!
3. FOX -- http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/04/26 ... arly-2000/ -- bullshig. no mention of saturday!

The first to respond, however, were Nepal's neighbors -- India, China and Pakistan, all of which have been jockeying for influence over the landlocked nation. Still, Nepal remains closest to India with which it shares deep political, cultural and religious ties.

Indian air force planes landed Sunday with 43 tons of relief material, including tents and food, and nearly 200 rescuers, India's External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said. The planes were returning to New Delhi with Indian nationals stranded in Kathmandu. More aid flights were planned for Sunday.

4. Ireland -- http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/as ... -1.2189966 -- bullshit.
5. Ukistan -- we cant be bothered. Our elecshuns are coming.

Its not worth reading. Ye gahds. You cant have thislevel of ignorance if its not officially sanctioned or propagated. Russia isnt reporting much either.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Apr 2015 05:18

Field Hospital capable of operating in extreme situations being airlifted to Nepal from Agra by IL 76

4 IL-76, 1 AN-32 aircraft deployed in relief ops frm Chandigarh. MI 26 heavy lift chopper on stand by @IndianExpress

Technical crew of AF Stn Chandigarh who maintain IL 76 so that earthquake relief ops can take place. @IndianExpress

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Apr 2015 05:26

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Apr 2015 05:32

KTM pictures are flooding out:

Someone just indicated the C-130 can take 2 more lucky passengers (guy got turned back).

Jonathan Khoo @jonk · 13h 13 hours ago

One plane to India, one plane to Qatar, both carrying passengers. #KTM #NepalEarthquake

C17
Jonathan Khoo @jonk · 13h 13 hours ago

Oh that worked! Here are some shots of the Indian Air Force IL-76MD #NepalEarthquake #ktm

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Apr 2015 05:44

Canada:

Two helicopters are loaded on a C-17 Globemaster airplane at CFB Trenton in 2013, bound to support the DART humanitarian mission in the Philippines. DART members left the same military base on Sunday bound for India, after which they are expected in Nepal. (Lars Hagberg/Canadian Press)

Dutch:

Karel van OosteromVerified account
‏@KvanOosterom

Dutch search and rescue team with sniffing dogs, emergency supplies @MSF in Netherlands air force plane to #Nepal

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Apr 2015 05:49

nepal:

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 27 Apr 2015 05:49

First report of Indian rescue operations ?

NDRF sources said the UAVs will also help in locating survivors in half-collapsed buildings and use it to look through balconies or windows for any trapped victims. "We are already using eight sniffer dogs to find any signs of life in the debris," said Rai.

To ease the burden on Nepal, NDRF has been supplied 33 vehicles to ferry injured to the hospital by SSB which guards the Indo-Nepal border.

NDRF has extracted eight people alive from quake debris and fished out 33 bodies till now. "We were the first foreign team to reach Nepal. More teams are coming from other countries now and Monday onwards the scale of rescue operations is going to widen further. We hope the figure of those rescued alive from under the debris will go up significantly," said Rai.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 063570.cms

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Apr 2015 06:34

Israel is sending 240 people and two x 747 with 90 ton supplies. A 10 person medical team has reached earlier. Some 2400 Israeli tourists were reported being in nepal

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Apr 2015 07:27

@SpokespersonMoD

#NepalEarthquake As of Now: IAF has evacuated 1935 passengers from Kathmandu utilising 12 aircraft sorties

2000 in two daus, and yet in the scheme of things less than a 10-20th of the need. If another 2000 got out via civil craft, then airport may become manageable in a week.

Its mostly game over for buried people. Now its recovery to prevent disease and cleanup. electricity needs to be repaired pronto.

member_26011 · Post by **member_26011** » 27 Apr 2015 07:35

Who coordinates small volunteer groups? The Chief said, I think quoted in TOIlet, that over 100K IA retirees are in Nepal and they are being pressed into service or connected with in some way. Together with the air bridge that India can provide then, and with the NDRF resident among others such as RSS, this is a start. Anyone know if they set up a clearing house/coordination centre at the airport? From here in US, fyi, approx. six UAS are headed for KTM via DEL, with operators.

saip · Post by **saip** » 27 Apr 2015 07:40

I wonder who is coordinating all these international teams?

member_26011 · Post by **member_26011** » 27 Apr 2015 07:55

All we have is this:
Nepal government: +97714200258, +97714200105, +97714200203
Indian Embassy in Kathmandu: +977 9851107021, +977 9851135141
24-hour control rooms: +91 11 2301 2113, +91 11 2301 4104, +91 11 2301 7905

The control rooms are responsive.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Apr 2015 08:16

Numbers are rising as fast as they can count:
The Indian Express ‏@IndianExpress 7m7 minutes ago
Live: Nepal death toll crosses 3200 as relief efforts continue

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Apr 2015 09:22

KTM has bad weather AND aftershocks,

Luke Vargas ‏@thecourier 23m23 minutes ago

Busy day ahead at #Kathmandu airport—Polish gov't #earthquake aid flight + others circling city, some have waited hrs

meanwhile our friends have started their usual routine:

iScrew ‏@iScrew 8m8 minutes ago

India's Foreign Secy lying like his PM saying Indian relief efforts helping Indians in #NepalQuake & foreigners when http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/in

Basant ‏@Basant1956 6m6 minutes ago

@rahulkanwal saw ur report from Kathmandu airport. Most absurd and irresponsible for a senior journalists

Subodh khanna ‏@subodh1945 25m25 minutes ago

@HeadlinesToday y u fuelling anger of Stranded in Nepal - GOI is doing MAX - airport can handle as only that much traffic #Kathmandu

Avya Bansal ‏@avyabansal 31m31 minutes ago

#timesnow showed people at Kathmandu airport cribbing about evac. Seems they should be helped before the trapped people. Are You Serious!!!

I am signing off the coverage. My faith in humanity is nonexistent as is.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Apr 2015 09:23

Nepal govt would be in charge of taking all the intl teams around where most needed. they do have a police and army who answer to the PM, this is not the middle east.

the finally tally once all outlying areas are searched and all collapsed homes turned over would likely be in 7500 range.

meantime NDTV is busy trying to rake up a controversy as usual.
see the comments section
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indian-n ... ght-758330

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 27 Apr 2015 09:26

The current COAS is also from one of the Gorkha regiments, and also is the "honorary" general of the Nepalese Army. And I feel IA could utilise its own ex-servicemen who would have settled down in Nepal.

Singha wrote:meantime NDTV is busy trying to rake up a controversy as usual.

The spokesperson of GoI has given a blunt response - "Every country provides rescue for their national first It is an Individual case, cannot comment on that Best left to the people on the ground"

Clearly proves that Indian media is no more in favour of India, but batting for outside interests.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Apr 2015 09:29

^^^ Its not just NDTV. Its all of them.

And you are vastly undercounting at 7500. It could very well be a very painful number. Pyres are already burning all over for 3 days. The actual number will never be known to any reasonable certainty.

ps -- bad weather is making an already terrible event horrendous.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Apr 2015 09:38

problem is even with a JCB type digger one cannot bullishly upturn collapsed homes because it will just kill anyone still trapped inside
its upto the sharp nosed sniffer dogs to find life and then careful removal - labour and time intensive I suppose.
some kinda earth penetration ultrasound type device that can detect heartbeats deep under debris might help but none exist.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Apr 2015 09:56

KTM airport is backed up. here a polish plane and indian a321 are cutting endless circles south of location..I dont know if KTM apt is even equipped for night operations.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Apr 2015 10:00

Singha,

KTM had a delay, then a full apron. Holding seems to be 2+ hours. 3 hours on the ground.

Re. the rest, there are solutions, but the essence of each is preparedness.

This is now history. All the effort you see is mere hand wringing. One ought to ask the "escapees" why they arent helping their hosts instead of acting like cockroaches.

The scale of the event was misread even after the fact (or maybe not, what I could see is always obvious to everybody else) and there is a concerted "token" response just like haiti because its "not our problem". Then politics has taken hold and the scum rises to the surface. Media is but a symptom of the overall social malaise.

An event like this fundamentally changes every human (at least those who have any humanity still left in them). There is a lot of pent up frustration and angst. Poor Nepalis. The ordinary folk were quite decent bunch. This will completely ruin the stock.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Apr 2015 10:05

does anyone know if a major quake happens at one point, the chances of a major quake to the right and left of it along the same fault are imminent?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1950_Assam ... earthquake
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1897_Assam_earthquake

assam has had two singular events 1897 (8.1 on richter) and 1950 (8.6!) ... and is located right over the same fault before it curves south across myanmar to the andamans.

in 1897 my maternal grandma was a child. she still shivered slightly in her old age when she spoke of it, of people sitting on their front yard being swallowed up in cracks of the earth and "soil moving like liquid"
in 1950 my father and his siblings were in dibrugarh, the entire town was devastated and the vast siltation of the brahmaputra caused by avalanches led to a permanent lowering of its depth..in few yrs it changed course and swallowed up the old town near river incl schools, govt offices, hospitals...the new dibrugarh shivers behind a high embankment of 15km length. there have been touch and go events in monsoon and mass episodes of panic as the town becomes 10 ft below the level of the raging river. river was filled with dead fish (some claimed due to release of gas), nobody were buying these huge fishes even for 25p for poisoning fear. one opportunistic lad even bagged a confused and scared deer who had run into his area with a shotgun and distributed the meat to people camping in tents. my father and his family spent quite a few days in tents and inside their car.

a 7.9 type quake in assam will kill around 50,000 people probably as the extent of population and masonry buildings of a iffy std are way more than nepal. I very much doubt all the civil construction rules of siesmic zone 5 are being followed unlike say a rich and meticulous place like Japan which can shrug off a 7 event through building codes and well equipped emergency services.

sure hope it does not happen.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Apr 2015 11:15

the air traffic situation is descending into chaos...8 a/c now queued up in circles burning fuel...london, paro in bhutan, seoul, kuala lumpur, guangzhou, the unlucky polish 787 is still there...probably they have little equipment onsite to unload things quickly, refuel planes and send them off.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 27 Apr 2015 12:15

Shreeman wrote:^^^ Its not just NDTV. Its all of them.

And you are vastly undercounting at 7500. It could very well be a very painful number. Pyres are already burning all over for 3 days. The actual number will never be known to any reasonable certainty.

ps -- bad weather is making an already terrible event horrendous.

Indian Media is totally Anti Indian Media. First I saw reporters trying to get negative comments on ABP. NDTV was almost clueless and picked up later. Most of the coverage is stupid. They are not showing what Indian efforts on the ground mean. How it is being done etc. It is clear that any effort would be too little and too late for thousands who are trapped. 72 hr Window is almost closed now. Sanitation, cleaning of debris, taking care of bodies, providing food and medical to injured and shelter, food, water, medicine to people on the street , providing for child support etc will kick in. Nothing is being shown of such efforts.

Casualty figure is going to shoot up in coming days as debris get cleared. It could well be in five figures.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 27 Apr 2015 12:23

saip wrote:I wonder who is coordinating all these international teams?

There is a joint control room in MoHA of Nepal Administration and is trying to manage. As you can see they are overwhelmed. NDRF Control teems are stationed at Joint Control Room. Gen Suhag has sent Maj Gen J S Sandhu to Kathmandu to coordinate rescue and relief efforts.He has spoken to his Nepalese counter part. All international teams are being coordinated from there only with Nepal Govt in charge. 10 satellite phones were sent yesterday for communication as telecom is out of gear.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 27 Apr 2015 12:30

Singha wrote:problem is even with a JCB type digger one cannot bullishly upturn collapsed homes because it will just kill anyone still trapped inside
its upto the sharp nosed sniffer dogs to find life and then careful removal - labour and time intensive I suppose.
some kinda earth penetration ultrasound type device that can detect heartbeats deep under debris might help but none exist.

NDRF DG explained this well. Buildings which are in priority are assessed for its damage and then propped up with support at crucial places. Then team is sent in. If there is aftershock or building settling down they call in control team who then send more man power/equipment. Sniffer dog teams ( 10 dog teams fro India) are pressed into SAR. Being saturday, offices and schools were closed so they are not on priority. They are sending UAV team to map priority buildings for SAR.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Apr 2015 13:08

so far no indic news channel atleast has explained with a chart what are the various workflows of a post-disaster ops like this, the planning, stages, people and machinery involved.
it might explain to lay people in india how complex such ops are vs just the visual psyops of giant airlifters being loaded. I am not surprised the c17s are also taking trucks and jeeps along.

their reporters are randomly walking around the streets with cameramen without much of a plan.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Apr 2015 14:07

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 27 Apr 2015 14:29

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 27 Apr 2015 14:49

Indian Flag flying High post Avalanche at Mt Everest Base camp. You will not see this image now in twitter. It has vanished. But here it is.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 27 Apr 2015 14:55

Vikas Swarup Verified account
‏@MEAIndia

#IndiawithNepal A team of 34 Indian doctors moved yesterday along with NDRF for relief and rescue #OperationMaitri

Vikas Swarup @MEAIndia · 52m 52 minutes ago

#IndiawithNepal More details on India's relief and rescue efforts to Nepal under #OperationMaitri

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Apr 2015 14:56

generally flags tend to survive avalanches as their cross section is very small and the poles flexible. in avalanche prone areas everyone fixes a tall pole with flag to their backpack for rescurers or dogs to find if they get buried in snow.
compressed air activated sleeve that claims to "float" the user caught by a avalanche http://www.cookingideas.es/imagenes/snowpulse_700.jpg

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 27 Apr 2015 15:04

Sitanshu Kar @SpokespersonMoD · 47s 47 seconds ago

#NepalEarthquake 2 C-17 carrying comm equipment & Water, 1 C-130J and 1 IL-76 (NDRF teams) return to Palam due to 'congestion' at Kathmandu.
0 retweets 0 favorites
New Delhi, Delhi
Sitanshu Kar @SpokespersonMoD · 13m 13 minutes ago

#NepalEarthquake IAF reschedules its relief planes for Nepal to 'Low Density Time' to avoid 'congestion' at Kathmandu.
23 retweets 8 favorites
Sitanshu Kar @SpokespersonMoD · 1h 1 hour ago

#NepalEarthquake IAF's C-17 a/c carrying relief material that got airborne this morning returns to Palam due to 'congestion' at Kathmandu.

30 retweets 9 favorites
New Delhi, Delhi
Sitanshu Kar @SpokespersonMoD · 2h 2 hours ago

#NepalEarthquake With Love from India...

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 27 Apr 2015 15:07

Singha wrote:generally flags tend to survive avalanches

It serves as powerful message as well. I would say iconic if only moron media new how to use it. The IA mountaineering team , which survived there, was first to take charge to rescue survivors. Now you will see helis and worry why not ALH or Dhruva.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 27 Apr 2015 15:31

NDRF and IA in action in Nepal

Nepal earthquake aftermath: Rescuers struggle to reach remote areas as toll rises

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — The death toll from Nepal’s earthquake soared past 3,700 Monday, and how much higher it would rise depended largely on the condition of vulnerable mountain villages that rescue workers were still struggling to reach two days after the disaster.

Reports received so far by the government and aid groups suggest that many communities perched on mountainsides are devastated or struggling to cope. Udav Prashad Timalsina, the top official for the Gorkha district, near the epicenter of Saturday’s quake, said he was in desperate need of help.