PARIS - The violent earthquake that rocked the Mediterranean coastal region of Algeria sliced undersea telephone cables in two, cutting off telecommunications between the north African country, France and most of Europe, France Telecom said.
Several hundred engineers have been mobilised to try to repair the cables, which lie more than 2,500 meters (yards) below the surface and were split in several places, a statement by the French operator said late Thursday.
As a result, telecommunications between Algeria and France, as well as with most other European countries, have been totally cut off, and services between Europe and several Asian, Middle Eastern and Pacific rim countries have been disrupted.
Three cable-laying vessels, including France Telecom's own Raymond Croze, have been sent to the zone where the cables broke to try to repair them as quickly as possible.
But the damage was extensive, and repair work was likely to be delicate and lengthy, France Telecom said, describing the situation as "unprecedented."
In the meantime, France Telecom said engineers were trying to reroute telecommunications to and from Algeria via ground lines in neighbouring countries and via satellite.
But using satellite links was impossible for the moment, because the land receivers in Algeria had also been damaged, telecoms technicians said.
Telcommunications links with Algeria would be re-established "progressively", but France Telecom was unable to give a precise date by which they would be fully restored until the cable-laying vessels were on site.
While repair work is under way, France Telecom urged phone users "not to call Algeria because the calls will not go through and will only overload the network and disrupt work to restore services."
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