Makassar blast traumatizes victims and their families

Makassar blast traumatizes victims and their families

Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi

The two bomb blasts that rocked Makassar, the capital of South
Sulawesi province, last Thursday did not only claim lives but
also caused deep anguish for the dead victims' families and
traumatized dozens of others who were directly affected by the
explosions.

Feby, 27, the daughter of one of the fatalities, Gufron
Rosadi, never could have imagined losing her father in such a
brutal way, and she has been unable to hold back her tears in the
last four days.

"Daddy has left us. We don't have parents anymore," Feby
muttered while gazing longingly at a blurry old photograph of her
father.

Gufron, 60, a retired policeman, was one of three victims
killed when a random bomb attack shattered a McDonald's outlet
located inside the Mal Ratu Indah on Dec. 5 on Jl. Ratulangi
street.

The two other fatalities were Krisnawati, 19, who was breaking
her fast at the popular American hamburger chain, and an
unidentified man police say might have been one of the bombers.

The blast also injured 11 customers and employees at the
restaurant.

Another blast occurred shortly thereafter at a Makassar car
dealership owned by Coordinating Minister for Peoples' Welfare
Jusuf Kalla, damaging four cars but causing no casualties.

"At first I could not believe it and when I arrived at the
hospital, suddenly my whole world just turned dark," Feby said.

Gufron, who is survived by his four children and worked as a
security guard at the restaurant for two years, was known as a
caring and understanding father.

And for Feby, Gufron was not only a father but also a friend
in times of need. Her mother passed away last year.

"Daddy reminded me to prepare food for my siblings when they
broke their fast that day. I never expected that it would be the
last words I would ever hear from him," Feby said.

"It's hard for us to accept this reality, but I'm sure that we
will persevere," Feby said.

Meanwhile, a 23-year-old Hasni, an employee at the mall, said
that she now had an extreme fear of public places.

"I heard a loud explosion and I saw people running from all
directions trying to get out of the building. Some people
stumbled and fell and others trampled on them," she said.

Hasni said that the blast took place when people were busy
breaking their fast while some others were praying on the third
floor.

"I was wondering what kind of explosion it was when suddenly
everything turned dark," she said, while adding that she felt
grateful that she only suffered light injuries.

Bayu, 12, who was eating at the restaurant when the explosion
took place, was also shocked and traumatized from the terror. "I
spontaneously ran outside the building. I realized something had
terrible had happened when I saw my hands were bleeding," he
said.

Bayu said he still gets overly startled when he hears loud
noises. "I always get terrified now, even if a motorcycle or a
car makes a loud noise," he said.

M. Darwis, a sociologist from Hasanuddin University, said on
Monday that no matter what the motive behind the bombings was,
the blasts had induced fear among the public in Makassar.

"Although the number of victims is not as high as the Bali
blasts, the Makassar blasts have triggered anxiety and terror
among citizens because people who experienced the incidents will
pass on their dreadful experiences to others," he said.

National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said that the
Makassar bombings were terrorist attacks.

"If we take a look at the target (an American icon), this is
the action of terrorists that aim to create anxiety throughout
society. They want to create chaos everywhere," he said.

Da'i then urged people from all walks of life to cooperate
with the police to fight against terrorism.

"Terrorism does not consider who its victims are and where it
will take place. So, elements of society should get involved in
the fight against terrorism," he said.