Marine burned in TNI show dies
Marine burned in TNI show dies
Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi
A 23-year-old marine, who caught fire two days ago while taking
part in a mock raid to mark the 58th celebration of Indonesian
Military (TNI) Day in the South Sulawesi capital, Makassar, died
on Tuesday in the hospital.
The death brought the number of soldiers killed in connection
with this year's TNI anniversary celebration on Sunday to nine.
Second Sgt. Hery Wahyudi died at around 4:57 a.m. local time
on Tuesday at the Pelamonia military hospital, Makassar, from
severe burns.
Hospital director Col. Harry Yusmanadi said about 90 percent
of Hery's body sustained serious burns.
"His condition was quite severe. Since he was hospitalized
here, the victim remained unconscious until he died," Yusmanadi
added.
He said the fire also damaged several of Hery's vital organs,
including his respiratory tract, forcing doctors to install a
tube to help him breathe.
His heart was unable to beat normally and his blood pressure
was abnormal, Yusmanadi added.
He said the hospital had done everything it could to optimize
efforts to save the life of Hery by deploying at least seven
doctors, some from the Makassar-based Hasanuddin University, to
take care of him.
The body was handed over to his Naval unit in Makassar four
hours before being flown, at around 1 p.m., to his hometown, Kali
Jati, Subang regency, West Java, for burial.
Hery was one of a number of Army soldiers and marines who took
part in a mock raid against a suspected hideout of Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) members, during Sunday's celebration to mark TNI
Day, adjacent to the Mandal Monument in Makassar.
As part of the scenario, the raid was preceded by the throwing
of a smoke grenade at the target before the attack was launched.
When the grenade ignited, Hery and other soldiers immediately
entered the hideout. But seconds later, the camouflage Hery was
wearing also ignited.
The fire also burned his military uniform. The victim could
not be rescued quickly because there was no fire extinguisher or
water immediately available at the site.
Sustaining serious burns, Hery was then rushed to the
Pelamonia hospital for intensive care, while the celebration was
immediately halted.
On Saturday, eight members of the Army's Special Forces
(Kopassus) drowned in the sea off Lhokseumawe in the war-torn
province of Aceh during a rehearsal for the TNI Day celebration.
Their bodies were discovered floating and tied to one another
around 40 meters from the scene on Monday.
The soldiers fell to the sea as the rope that tied them
together while hanging from a helicopter had to be cut after bad
weather had made the aircraft unstable.
Military officials said the harness was cut to prevent the
further loss of life during the accident, but added that an
investigation had been launched into alleged procedural
violations preceding the incident.