French relief worker dies in tsunami-hit Nias

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

French relief worker Alain Richard Patrick has died while carrying out humanitarian work on Nias Island, North Sumatra, making the 59 year old the first reported fatality among relief workers in tsunami-hit areas of the island.

While it is suspected that Patrick died of a heart attack, authorities are awaiting the approval of both the French Embassy in Jakarta and the family of the deceased before carrying out an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

"The Nias Police are hoping to perform an autopsy. But his family and the embassy are yet to convey their approval to us," Nurbama Syarif, a doctor at Pirngadi hospital in Medan, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday. Patrick's body is being kept in the hospital morgue.

Nias Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Janner H.R. Pasaribu confirmed that his office had requested that doctors at the hospital examine Patrick's body.

Patrick, who worked as a lawyer in France, was among hundreds of foreign volunteers working in Nias and Aceh to help recover dead bodies from debris, distribute relief aid and take care of thousands survivors of the Dec. 26 earthquake and ensuing tsunamis. The catastrophe killed more than 166,000 people in Indonesia, mostly in Aceh, which bore the brunt of the disaster.

Janner said that Patrick died on Thursday at around 6:30 p.m. while on his way from tsunami-hit Afulu district to Lahewa district, another ravaged area in Nias regency.

Quyen Tran of Helpage International said that Patrick had joined the humanitarian organization to help tsunami victims in the four worst-hit districts in Nias regency.

He said that Patrick and other relief workers, including Indonesians, had previously carried out humanitarian work in two districts of Nias: Sirombu and Mandrehe. The team was moving to another affected area when Patrick died in their minivan during the journey.

Quyen said that Patrick had been perspiring heavily, and had described feeling exhausted and nauseous before he passed away.

"He seemed to be all right, he never complained about any health problem," Quyen said.