Families fetch dead relatives at Halim

Families fetch dead relatives at Halim

JAKARTA (JP): A heart-wrenching drama unfolded at Halim
Perdana Kusuma Airport yesterday as the families of 20 of the
victims of Thursday's airplane crash in Bandung gathered for the
arrival of their relatives' coffins.

The wife of Capt. FX Bambang Rudi Santoso, the pilot of the
ill-fated Sempati flight SG304, who came all the way from the
Yogyakarta to collect her husband's body, became hysterical when
she saw his coffin.

She kissed her husband's photograph, which was displayed in
front of his coffin, that had been covered with the national
flag.

Sobbingly, she spoke to one of her sons who stared absent-
mindedly at the picture: "Son, your father will no longer be
there to cuddle you like he used to before he went away to work."

One of Bambang's colleagues was heard saying at Gates I and
II, where all the coffins were laid before being handed over to
the families: "I can't watch this, I must get of here before I
cry."

Bambang is survived by his wife, Tery Herwantitari, and five
children.

His body was then flown to his hometown of Yogyakarta to be
buried in nearby Imogiri later in the afternoon.

Another grieving woman was Teti Sachlan, 29.

She said she lost her 64-year-old mother, a sister, a
four-and-a-half-year-old nephew, and a seven-year-old niece in
the accident.

Teti said she last saw her mother, Heni Hetilahama, when she
came from their home in Manado, in North Sulawesi, last March to
see Teti give birth at her home in Cimahi, West Java.

She said her sister, a military police sergeant-major, and two
of her children, Claudio Yuliadi and Tammy Sadewi, who lived in
Medan, North Sumatra, visited her and their mother a week ago.

"They were supposed to head for Medan through Jakarta today,
where mommy said she would stay with my sister until December
when she said she would return to Manado for Christmas," Teti
said, bursting to tears.

Riza Putra, 35, who lost his wife and his two-year-old son,
said that his wife and son flew from Padang, West Sumatra, to
Bandung last week to visit him.

"My wife and I agreed that we should stay in Bandung, and that
they were going back to prepare for the move. Well, we can plan
but God decides," said a resigned Riza, a doctor pursuing a
specialist degree.

Unlike most people, Riza -- husband of Silvianti and father of
Lutfie Akbar Fahriza -- managed to hold back tears.

"We don't know how to cry, but out hearts are broken deep
inside," said Riza's brother-in-law, who stood beside his
grieving relative.

Marriage

Another tragic story involved Rully Octavia, 27, who died in
the accident on the way to his wedding in Padang.

"Mommy, Daddy, big brother and sister, had left for Padang for
the wedding with Rosfita which was due to be held on July 19,"
said Roby, 19, Rully's younger brother who stayed in Bandung.

Roby not only lost his brother in the accident but also his
father, Muchlis Munir, and his sister Ranti 29.

Roby's mother, Ranidar, survived the crash with a broken left
arm and a few scratches. She remains in a weak state and still
unable to talk. She is being treated at Immanuel hospital.

Rully and Rosfita's wedding ceremony was to be held in Padang
while the reception was to be in Bandung on Aug. 3.

"Over 1,000 invitations had been posted," said Roby lamenting
the loss of his family and his brother's never-to-be-fulfilled
plans.

Despite the loss of half his family, Roby remained calm and
bravely controlled his emotions.

Rully, his father and his sister were all buried at Sirnaraga
cemetary yesterday afternoon.

Muchlis, the father, was teacher at the law faculty in
Padjadjaran University. Ranti was a graduate student in the
United States.

In Padang, Rosfita also held back tears as she remembered her
lost fiancee.

"Rully liked to tease me," Antara quoted her as saying.

"The last time he called me was a moment before his plane took
off. He told me (jokingly) that his plane was canceled and said
he wouldn't be coming," Rosfita said at Tabing Airport before
boarding a plane to Jakarta.

Accompanied by her parents, Rosfita left for Bandung yesterday
via Jakarta to attend her fiancee's funeral.

She remained motionless, not saying much, only crying.

Her brother, Rahmat Rasyid, said: "Heavy-heartedly, we now
have to pull down the tent and the dais where the bridal couple
was supposed to sit, be it here (in Padang) or in Rully's house
in Bandung." (aan)