Indonesia: Air Traffic Controller Hailed As National Hero For Sacrificing Life To Save Passengers During Earthquake 

Rich tributes poured in for a deceased Indonesian air traffic controller for remaining inside the control tower despite tremors triggered by a devastating earthquake and guiding a passenger jet safely off the ground.

The Jakarta Post reported that Anthonius Gunawan Agung, aged 21, was on duty as an air traffic controller (ATC) at Palu airport in Central Sulawesi. Agung, who was operating on the fourth floor of the ATC tower at Mutiara Sis Al Jufri Airport in Palu, had just cleared the lane for the take off of a plane on Friday (28 September) afternoon.

When the plane was about to take off, a massive tremors triggered by a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit the airport but Agung remained in the tower to ensure that the flight took off successfully.

Eventually, Agung jumped from the top of the crumbling four-storey tower in a desperate attempt to escape, breaking his leg and suffering grievous internal injuries as a result.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he received basic treatment but passed away before a navy helicopter could transport him to a better-equipped facility.

The Jakarta Post quoted Didiet KS Radityo, the corporate secretary of the Indonesian Flight Navigation Service Institution (AirNav Indonesia), as saying that, “Agung dedicated himself to his job until the end of his life and did not leave the control tower until the plane took off, even though the earthquake had struck.”

As a result of his heroics, he was paid a tribute by Indonesia’s official air-navigation service and others on social media.

Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) announced that at least 832 people have died and thousands have gone missing as rescue teams mounted relief operations in the ravaged cities of Palu and Donggala in the province of Central Sulawesi, two days after a strong earthquake and tsunami hit the region and left behind a trail of devastation.

On Friday (30 September), a series of earthquakes hit parts of Central Sulawesi, one of which reached 7.4-magnitude. The largest earthquake triggered tsunami waves, which were 0.5 to 3 meters high, on parts of Donggala’s coast and Talise Beach in Palu.