Text 591, 88 rader
Skriven 2000-05-15 12:19:29 av Thomas Tydal (2:206/0.0)
     Kommentar till en text av 
Ärende: The enschede-disaster
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* Forwarded (from: netmail) by Thomas Tydal using timEd 1.10.y2k.
* Originally from Jan Vermeulen (2:280/100) to Thomas Tydal (2:20/0).
* Original dated: Sun May 14, 19:33

 * Original to: Ward Dossche (2:292/854)
 * 30 carbon copies

    Quoting Ward Dossche on Sun 14 May 2000  0:56 to Jan Vermeulen:

 wd> Please keep us informed how the Enschede-sysops are doing,...


    We have four sysops in Enschede, three of which have phone numbers that
/might/ place them in the affected area, which is approx 5% of the surface
covered by the North Enschede office.

    Getting through to Enschede is not easy: apparently a bunch of lines have
been reserved for communications by the authorities in Hengelo, Zwolle, The
Hague etc. and the remaining lines were incabable to cater for civilian
traffic.

    However, I have been able to establish voice contact with one of the sysops
out there.

    Guess what: he lives at a distance of 300 metres from the explosions'
centre and when he finally got home after winding around the cordons, the only
damage was a figurine that has fallen from a chest.

    His problem is now that he can't leave the inner ring of cordons without
risking not to be able to get in again.

    As for the others, I'm waiting for their host to give me their voice numers
-- at least one system is up as I was able to connect to it.

 wd> ... what their damages are, how Fido-sysops can help.

 wd> We probably all have stuff we can contribute if necessary, I'm not
 wd> thinking about computer-equipment because people will have greater
 wd> needs I assume ... clothes, utencils, basic furture, cooking equip-
 wd> ment, ...
 wd>
 wd> If there's a need and we can call on Fido-generosity then don't
 wd> hesitate to launch the appeal.

    My impression is that Dutch authorities have learned much from what went
wrong with the El Al calamity in Amsterdam ten years ago: the authorities have
reacted fast and in the way they should based on the information at hand.

    The catch was that this started as an outdoor fire of moderate consequence
that could be handles by one unit and 12 firemen. It was only 30 minutes after
that fire started that the first of three bunkers containing fireworks
exploded, killing, probably, four of the firemen.

    The Firework company was established on that spot years before the houses
were built around it.

    400 houses have vanished, 1000 other houses need repair before they can be
lived in again. Casualties are astoundingly little when you look at the
importance of the three explosions: out of 2000 or 2500 people living in the
area, less than 500 have been wounded, of which maybe 50 needed longer
hospitalization. 13 are known to be dead. inclusing the four firemen, but there
is an unknown number of people that may be found in the debris after this has
cooled suffiently to let helpers in.

    As for help, I do not see right now what could be done by FidoNet:
temporary shelter has been found in gymnasiums and the number of houses that
can be found in the region increases with the hour. If the follow up is as
effcient and swift as what we have seen in the 30 hours since that first
'innocent' fire started, I expect that any help needed will have been given
before we would have been able to organize some.

    Of course, I will keep a close eye on this.

 wd> My wishes of strength in times of great distress go to all people
 wd> that have suffered, I only hope my worst fears don't turn true with
 wd> lots more casualties than we saw on TV so far judging the incredible
 wd> calamity.

    Thank you for those wishes amd let's hope that indeed the fine weather on a
Saturday afternoon, the last shopping occasion before Mother's Day, has spared
many lives.


    -=<[ JV ]>=-    [RC/28]


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