Mobile Phone Tracking Saves Tsunami Victims

TUESDAY DECEMBER 28 2004 9:52 PM

Submitted by Shalome. Edited By Shalome.

In order to aid rescue efforts in areas of Asia affected by the earthquake and tsunami, mobile generators are quickly being installed to power cellular phone base stations throughout the region. 90% of towers are operational again in the devastated areas, and mobile phone companies are now using cellular locating and tracking technology to find lost and stranded people.

A private initiative involving all phone companies here began monitoring mobile phones with international roaming and traced the call patterns to figure out the location of the phone users.

"There were 10,252 international roaming phones working on Sri Lankan networks at the time of the tragedy," Chris Dharmakirti, who is heading the Tidal Wave Rescue Centre said. "We sent everyone an sms and got responses from 2,321.

"Whenever anyone used the phone, we could track where the person was and restrict our search to affected areas of the country."

SMS messages were sent to mobile phones in the area instructing people to call a hotline number. The call signal could be traced to a location, allowing rescue teams to find lost or injured people in areas where all other communications had been cut off. Some international roaming phones transmit a constant signal that is acting as a beacon.

"Some people who called us did not know where they were. All they could say was they were on high ground. But we were able to pin-point from where the call was coming and could rush help," [Dharmakirti] said.

"This is the first time in Sri Lanka that we have used high tech call tracking for a rescue mission. It has been highly successful and the teenagers who manned the call centre were themselves keen to go out and help victims," he said.

"What we are doing is to use this to help any survivor who is marooned and needs help."

6 Comments

Brinny

I'm lost

October 2004

DEC 29, 2004 12:28 AM

i feel so bad about all of this... it breaks my heart. i wish there was something i could do... i feel so horrid..

Ella_1

HOPEFUL

Australia

DEC 29, 2004 12:43 AM

everyone that i know in thailand and the maldives are fine - a little beat up but ok.

I cant imagine what its like for those who have loved ones still missing...