Body of Domestic Worker Killed in Medan House Explosion Returned to Nagekeo

The body of Roswita Bupu, a victim of a luxury house explosion in the Grand Polonia area of Medan, North Sumatra, was taken home to her native village on Thursday (23/7/2026). Ros was a domestic worker originally from Kampung Tongananga, Ratongamobo Village, Boawae District, Nagekeo, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Ros’s remains arrived at Komodo International Airport in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, on Thursday afternoon. The body was then transported by road to her home village. ‘It is still on the way now,’ said Ros’s older sibling, Arin Arianti.

The house explosion that killed Ros occurred on the afternoon of 21 July 2026. Two other victims died in the incident: the homeowner’s wife and a babysitter, while four other people were reported to have survived.

Ros had only been working as a domestic worker in Medan for about 11 months. The unmarried woman initially worked in Bali after being invited by a friend. After a few months in Bali, Ros was transferred to Jakarta. Not long after working in Jakarta, she was moved again to Medan to work as a domestic worker.

Ros had sent a final message to her mother before she died in the explosion. The message was conveyed through a family WhatsApp group video call. ‘She just said, “Mama, I’m going to work now, you should rest,”’, Arin recounted. The last video call between Ros and her mother took place on Saturday night (19/7/2026). The following day, Arin said, Ros suddenly left the family WhatsApp group. ‘On Monday she died. We were informed on Tuesday,’ Arin stated.