How Milexia optimised the UK-ISAR rescue team’s efforts following Morocco earthquake.
When a severe earthquake hit Marrakesh and remote regions of Morocco, Milexia ensured optimal disaster response management and communication using the Scorpion-lite as part of their SaaMS service.
On Friday 8th September 2023, a severe earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter Scale struck near the town of Oukaïmedene in western Morocco.
This natural disaster caused heavy damage to The Medina (the old part of Marrakech) and devastated several remote settlements in the Atlas Mountains.
More than 2,900 people were killed and 5,500 people injured, 50,000 houses and 2,930 villages were damaged and 19,095 additional houses collapsed because of the quake which was felt as far away as Spain, Portugal and Algeria.
Residents started to remove the rubble by hand until help arrived, staying outside for fear of another devastating earthquake or aftershock as international aid was deployed to the country.
The UK government immediately sent the United Kingdom International Search and Rescue Team (UK-ISAR) to assist in the area including a team of sixty-two search and rescue specialists and four rescue dogs.
Requirement
When emergency response teams are sent to help in crises such as earthquakes, warzones, natural disasters and terrorist attacks, their mission is to assess and repair damage and save lives. To do this, they need to coordinate their efforts and communicate effectively.
However, when these crisis situations occur, terrestrial means of communication are often destroyed, making the search and rescue team’s job even harder.
According to global internet monitor, NetBlocks, this is exactly what happened in Marrakech due to power cuts in the region. Additionally, the villages in the Atlas Mountains, close to the epicentre of the earthquake did not have the connectivity they needed to assist in the search and rescue efforts.
Satellite communication (SatCom) has transformed disaster response management, making it easier to exchange data in real-time and keep coordination centres and first responders on the ground.
That’s why we deployed the Scorpion-Lite to the UK-ISAR team – a fully integrated satcom terminal designed to be lightweight, compact enough to fit into ‘carry-on’ luggage for most airlines and fit into the overhead luggage compartment.
Designed for the harshest of conditions, quick and easy to set up, and network-ready, we knew it was the ideal solution for the response to the Morocco Earthquake.
Solution
Just a day after the earthquake struck Morocco, we deployed the Scorpion-lite to the UK International Search and Rescue (UK-ISAR) and the following day, they flew to the country to set up the satellite communications network.
It was our privilege to support their humanitarian efforts in Morocco with the Scorpion-lite, giving them continuous high-speed connectivity over the global Intelstat Flex network and enabling the team to carry out their vital work seamlessly.
We chose the Scorpion-Lite because it allows any user to deploy a new bean anywhere in the world, even if they are untrained in the technology. The antenna pointing angles are calculated and displayed with real-time crosshair positioning and the modem is automatically set for the correct network.
Result and conclusion
By using the Scorpion-lite with the global Intelstat Flex network as part of our SaaMS service, the UK-ISAR team were able to carry out their vital work seamlessly and stay safe.
Costs were also significantly reduced thanks to this satcom technology. For example, if the BGAN terminal had been used, they would have spent around £50,000. However, by using the SaaMS service, the total cost of the deployment was under £7,000.
All members of the UK ISAR returned home safely, arriving at Gatwick Airport on Tuesday 19th September 2023, and were congratulated for their excellent search and rescue efforts.
Need an end-to-end turnkey service for use in critical missions and tactical locations?
Find out about our Satcom-as-a-Managed Service (SaaMS) here.
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