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.