internationalsos.com - Press releases
International SOS responds to Sichuan earthquake13 May 2008Beijing
International SOS, the world’s leading provider of assistance services, has activated its medical and logistics resources in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Singapore, to assist the families and victims of the earthquake in Sichuan Province, China.
Upon notification of the disaster, International SOS convened a regional crisis management team in Beijing. Another team of medical and logistics experts will depart at 3 pm today and join members of the Beijing Red Cross Society to Deyang, 200 km from the epicentre of the earthquake. International SOS’ crisis management team is making contingency plans to prepare for individual and mass evacuations. Damage to the local and regional communications infrastructure has created logistical challenges, which we expect to improve over the next few days. International SOS Travel Advice International SOS continues to provide regular updates and travel advice to its clients helping them prepare and respond to the crisis. In the coming days, there is a high likelihood of continued disruption to power supplies, communications and transport services in Sichuan. Authorities have stated that 80 percent of the buildings in the county have collapsed or were damaged from the earthquake. Landslides and repeated tremors have damaged several mountain roads in the region, forcing the closure of roads to Wenchuan, the epicenter of the earthquake, and to Lixian and Maoxian. Members are advised to avoid the earthquake-affected region as aftershocks are likely. International SOS strongly recommends members to regularly check updates on the members' section of the website and local media updates for the latest information concerning travel disruptions. Members are also recommended to reconfirm all relevant travel arrangements and access to transport services. At this very difficult time, we send our condolences to the victims and their families affected by this disaster. International SOS will do all it can to provide assistance to our clients, members, and victims. International SOS members who require assistance should contact the International SOS 24-hour Beijing Alarm Centre, +86 10 6462 9100. About International SOS Operating in over 70 countries, International SOS (http://www.internationalsos.com/) helps organizations manage the health and safety risks facing their travelers and global workforce. Its services range from consultancy and planning services to 24-hour medical and security advice and assistance. It also provides emergency medical and security evacuations when there is a critical illness, accident or civil unrest. Last year, the company handled over 850,000 assistance cases, including more than 16,000 evacuations. For more information, please contact Grace Ngoh, International SOS Beijing at |
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