East Jakarta Firefighter's Last Message to Wife Before Perishing in Illegal Dumpsite Blaze

Linda (43), the wife of firefighter Andriyono who perished while extinguishing a blaze at an illegal temporary disposal site (TPS) in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, has revealed her final conversation with her husband. Linda said that on the morning before he left for duty, her husband had asked her to stay home all day to look after their children. “That morning, he ate together with our son. Then as he was about to leave for work, he scolded me, ‘Don’t go to work, Neng.’ He forbade me from working. But I went to work anyway. I said, ‘If I don’t work, what will happen to the children later?’ I said that. Then finally he left,” Linda said when met at her residence in Ciracas, East Jakarta, on Monday.

At the time, Linda did not understand Andri’s intention and chose to go to work. However, around noon, Linda received a phone call from her son, who reported that her husband was being treated at a hospital. “I asked my eldest child, ‘What’s wrong, Bang?’ ‘Mum, where are Abi’s documents?’ ‘Why?’ ‘Abi has been taken to the hospital, Mum. Harapan Bunda Hospital,’” Linda explained. At that moment, Linda immediately prepared to go to the hospital. Shortly before leaving, she received another call, this time a video call from her husband’s colleague, asking her to come to the hospital quickly.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Linda saw her husband already wrapped in a white shroud. “When I arrived, my husband was already wrapped in white cloth. He was gone,” she said. Linda revealed that her husband had seemed to have a premonition, asking her two months ago not to remarry if he died first and to take care of their children. “Two months ago, he only had one message, ‘Neng, if I’m not around anymore, don’t get married again.’ That was his message. ‘Take care of the children.’ But I said, ‘What are you talking about? Don’t joke like that.’ That was two months ago. But recently, there was nothing,” she said.

Linda admitted that losing her husband has devastated her and their three children. However, she also said she must stay strong for her children who have lost their father. Following her husband’s passing, Linda continues to remember the beautiful moments they shared together, from sharing stories about work routines to arguing over small matters. She recalled how Andri, the youngest child in his family, would always insist on getting what he wanted, including his hobby of playing chess and buying equipment online. Linda also shared that Andri often told his family about the unique activities of a firefighter, including rescuing cats and retrieving mobile phones that had fallen into drains.