Foreign Ministry crisis line ringing non-stop
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The phones are ringing non-stop at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Crisis Centre in Helsinki’s Katajanokka. When the official puts down the receiver, another caller is on the line.
The callers are Finns who have not been able to make contact with relatives or friends travelling in the area affected by Sunday’s natural disaster. Many of those ringing in are in a state of panic or under extreme emotional stress.
"But of course we will call you immediately, as soon as we hear anything", the crisis desk official says soothingly into the receiver.
A form is filled out based on information given by the caller, with details of the missing traveller.
The forms are then e-mailed directly to Finnish legations and embassies in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia, where they are compared with local information on the ground.
"Do you know for a fact that he was in Southern Thailand?" asks the official in Helsinki.
"In Bangkok? Well, in that case you can relax, because there is no danger up there."
"Oh, I see, he is island-hopping in the south? Right, then I’ll take down your details. What was your name again?"
Many callers had to wait for long periods on Monday before they could get through to speak to anyone. The desks and the crisis hotline number were manned by only three Foreign Ministry officials, which under these exceptional circumstances, with hundreds, even thousands of people in the affected area, seems to have been too few.
Travel operators have also set up their own hotlines, in addition to the 010-802 266 of the Foreign Ministry and a Red Cross crisis line on 020 366 266.
These are:
Aurinkomatkat 010 446 7446, 010 446 7447
Finnmatkat 03 03 60 662
Tjäreborg 09 12371
All numbers given are internal for Finland. Callers from outside the country should add the country code +358 and drop the first digit of the numbers above.
Concerned relatives are also advised to try to contact missing persons on their mobile phones. Even though the mobile networks in the affected area are not working well, SMS messages may still get through.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 28.12.2004 - TODAY |
 Foreign Ministry crisis line ringing non-stop |
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