Stations
across the UK belonging to the Local Radio Company network received
first-hand updates following the Easter Monday earthquake in Indonesia
from one of their reporters who was in Sri Lanka to record a series of
special reports.
Tammy Amirthananthar was in Sri Lanka to find
out how local groups in the UK had become involved in the country since
the Boxing Day tsunami.
Kevin Gover, news manager for Wessex FM
and Vale FM, where Amirthananthar is based, said: “When I found out
what had happened, my first thoughts obviously were for Tammy’s safety.
She had only been there for a matter of hours, and to have been
confronted with this and the possibility of another tsunami hitting Sri
Lanka was probably the last thing she was expecting.
“Through a
mixture of calls and texts I was able to find out from her that she was
OK. We established contact with her early on Tuesday morning and all
the Local Radio Company stations were able to have reports throughout
the breakfast programme direct from the scene.”
Speaking from Sri
Lanka, Amirthananthar said: “We heard by word of mouth what had
happened in Indonesia, and then all the phones started to go mad. It
was a sense of disbelief. People here in Sri Lanka were definitely
scared and the streets were full of people who had packed their bags
and were leaving.
“It started the fear all over again when they
were only just about managing to get back on their feet after the
Boxing Day tragedy.”
Amirthananthar will be in Sri Lanka until 8
April and the special reports will be aired on all 26 Local Radio
Company stations from 18 April, along with a 30-minute documentary.
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