French relief worker dies in tsunami-hit Nias

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.