Helping Others without Hesitation before the Smoke has Lifted

AFP/ INDRA ABRIYANTO

Indonesian forensic police examine the site after a suspected bomb exploded near a church in Makassar on March 28, 2021.

Sunday (28/3/2021) should have been a normal day for Yosi, 29, a barista at a café on Jalan Botolempangan in downtown Makassar, South Sulawesi. Before noon, however, a huge explosion about 100 meters from where he was working caught him by surprise.

Spontaneously, he left the café to check the source of the thundering sound. When he saw thick smoke rising from the direction of Jalan Kajaolalido, on the same road as the café, Yosi felt confused. People on both sides of the road were injured.

Without much thinking, the long-haired young man ran toward the source of the smoke. He approached a middle-aged woman who was bleeding. Together with one of his friends, Yosi immediately took the woman away from the location.

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Crying for help, he searched for a vehicle to take the woman to the hospital. There were two small children with the woman, her grandchildren. They were injured on their legs.

"I asked an employee of a minimarket nearby to take them to the hospital by motorbike. The employee was willing to help," he said.

I asked an employee of a minimarket nearby to take them to the hospital by motorbike.

The woman and her two grandchildren had been walking on the sidewalk when a suicide bomb exploded at the side entrance to the Makassar Cathedral on Jalan Kajaolalido at around 10:30 a.m. Central Indonesia Time. The explosion was so strong that fragments of the bomb were thrown dozens of meters away.

AFP/ INDRA ABRIYANTO

Indonesian police stand guard outside a church after an explosion in Makassar on March 28, 2021.

On Sunday evening, South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Merdisyam said 20 people were wounded in the suicide bombing. Some of the victims have been released from the hospital.

National Police chief Gen. (Pol) Listyo Sigit Prabowo said the two suicide bombers had been killed. They had come to the location together riding a motorbike.

The perpetrators’ motorbike was destroyed, and other vehicles at the site were also damaged. Windows of the houses and buildings around the cathedral were shattered, including at the Singgasana Hotel, which stands directly opposite of the church on the south side.

There was no fear at that time. The important thing was to help the victims first, because I saw that there were injured people.

A few hours after the incident, Yosi was still in shock. He had never witnessed anything of the sort before. However, he did not feel it when he first moved to help the victims. A suspicion that the explosion was from a bomb had crossed his mind. "But there was no fear at that time. The important thing was to help the victims first, because I saw that there were injured people,” he said.

Ignoring the fear

A number of residents around the location did the same. They spontaneously helped the wounded, disregarding the fear.

Idris, 68, a parking attendant at Jalan Botolempangan, was among those moved to help the victims. The explosion stunned the man who was about 200 meters from the location. Like Yosi, he spontaneously ran toward the source of the sound.

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He first checked on the house of a relative of his, an elderly woman, which was only a few meters from the site of the explosion. "The windows of her house were broken. The woman was [been pushed by the blast]," he said.

Kompas

Explosion at the Makassar Cathedral Church, South Sulawesi.

Luckily, she was not injured. To calm her down, Idris took her to live temporarily at her children\'s home on the other side of the town.

Nelfi, 28, the owner of a food stall on the south side of Karebosi Field, has her own story to tell. At the time of the explosion, she was washing bowls at the back of the stall. The blast shook the kiosk and prayer room behind the stall, less than 100 meters from the main gate of the Makassar Cathedral.

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"I was shocked, of course. I immediately went out and saw that there had been an explosion in the church. I ran there. I saw many people. I was there to see if maybe there was something I could do. It turned out that there were many people. But, I still tried to help as much as I could," she said.

Makassar Cathedral Pastor Father Wilhelmus Tulak said the explosion had occurred around 10:30 a.m., during the change from the second to the third session of worshiping. At that time, some of the churchgoers began to leave and others entered the church. Body temperature checks were conducted in line with Covid-19 protocol at the main gate.

I was shocked, of course. I immediately went out and saw that there had been an explosion in the church.

The two perpetrators riding a motorbike were seen approaching the church. Despite being reprimanded by church employees, both of them desperately sought to get into the building. Soon after one of the church employees pushed them, the bomb they were carrying exploded.

Many nails were found at the site of the explosion, believed to be part of the bomb material, but police are still investigating the details. Meanwhile, three of the injured were rushed to the Stella Maris Hospital, Makassar. The director of the hospital, Dr. Luisa Niduritu, said one victim with minor injuries had been allowed to go home. However, another two were still being treated.

"One person is being treated in the ICU because tighter handling is needed due to burns; another person is treated in a usual care room. Both are in stable condition," said Luisa.

AFP/INDRA ABRIYANTO

Indonesian police carry a bag with the remains of a suspected suicide bomber after an explosion outside a church in Makassar on March 28, 2021.

The two victims who were still being treated as of Sunday night were church parking attendants whose had been close to the explosion. One of them was admitted to the ICU because 20 percent of his body was burnt, mostly his face.

In a press statement, the Makassar Archdiocese Curia expressed concern over the incident. The bishop and pastors, both in the cathedral and the diocese, were all well.

"The priests and all people are expected to remain calm, continue to be vigilant and let this case be fully entrusted to the security forces to handle in accordance with applicable regulations," said RD Fransiskus Nipa who read the statement.

The suicide bombing drew condemnation from across the country. What is certain is that the perpetrators\' dreadful action cannot defeat our sense of humanity, which is always upright to fight against terrorism.

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.