Babysitter loses foot in airport bomb blast

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Yuli, 18, did her job as usual early on Sunday morning with no premonition that something terrible would befall her. Later in the morning Yuli was to lose her left foot in a bomb blast at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

She was at the airport to accompany nine-month old Jove, whose parents were bound for Balikpapan, South Kalimantan.

Yuli took the job as a baby sitter for Jove only last month.

She was the one sitting closest to the bomb that exploded in front of a Korean cafe, next to a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet, at the airport, and consequently suffered the most severe injuries. She received shrapnel wounds to her legs, arms and face from the blast.

Yuli was one among 11 victims of a blast that rocked the international airport at 6:30 a.m. Eight of them were related to the Jihan family, who live on Jl. Penjernihan in Central Jakarta. They were Yuli, Jove, his parents Jihan, 32, and Silvia Magdalena, 29, the latter's relative, Sumartini, 19, their housemaids Sulastri, 23, and Sumiati, 50, and Sumiati's daughter, Desi Ratnalatri, 7.

The other victims were Minarti, 30, Ruswati and another one who was not identified.

Five victims were released from hospital later in the day: Jove, Sumartini, Sumiati, Sulastri and Desi.

Jihan, Silvia and Ruswati were still receiving treatment at Pantai Indah Kapuk Hospital in North Jakarta, while Yuli and Minarti were treated at Tangerang General Hospital in Banten province.

The Jihan family were to fly Lion Air to Samarinda, East Kalimantan, to celebrate the birthday of Silvia's mother.

Since a direct flight to Samarinda is not available, they were to travel to Balikpapan first and then take another flight to Samarinda.

In fact they were scheduled to take the 7 a.m. flight, but a delay meant they had to wait. And it was while they were waiting near the American fast-food restaurant, that the bomb exploded.

They were waiting at terminal F in front of the ticket counter of Indonesian flag carrier, Garuda.

Doctors from the Tangerang hospital had to amputate Yuli's left foot. Bambang Winubroto from the hospital said that although her physical condition was stable, her mind would dwell on the horrors she had just been through.