Hytera comms used in Laos dam rescue mission

Hytera is supporting rescue operations following the collapse of a hydroelectric dam in southern Laos.

The incident took place on 23 July, leading to the deaths and disappearances of hundreds of people.

Five billion cubic metres of water swept through the surrounding countryside after the accident at the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam, which is still under construction in south-eastern Attapeu province.

Immediately following the disaster, Hytera activated an emergency response system. The Hytera office in Laos prepared communications equipment to be used by rescue operations with emergency systems ready for deployment by 26 July. This ensured rescue operations could be deployed immediately following any demand for emergency communications from search and rescue teams.

Around 7 pm on 27 July, BlueSky Rescue (BSR) in Laos confirmed that the local communications network in the disaster area was insufficient to provide the level of support needed for frontline rescue operations. BSR contacted Hytera for an immediate communications solution to support relief efforts and ensure the safety of rescue personnel. Following in-depth coordination with BSR, Hytera engineers prepared several communication plans that were designed to handle any number of scenarios and variations that emergency teams might encounter during rescue operations. Hytera then coordinated transportation efforts to send the equipment to the BSR command centre located in the disaster area to ensure the equipment arrived on-site as quickly as possible.

By the afternoon of 29 July, the radiocommunications equipment needed for rescue operations reached BSR’s command centre. A repeater system had been configured and set up on-site before the radios arrived, providing vital support to on-site communications for rescue forces.

As a leading global provider of innovative professional mobile radiocommunications solutions, Hytera is committed to fulfilling its social responsibilities by leveraging its cutting-edge technology and product portfolio to support rescue and relief operations on a global scale. Hytera has played an active role in providing support to emergency response efforts such as the Japan Tsunami in 2011, the Nepal Earthquake in 2015, the floods in Myanmar in 2016 and Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas, in 2017.

Image courtesy of Hytera.

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