2 Indonesians Missing in Australian Bushfires
VIVAnews - Two Indonesian citizens, Dean Lesmano and Rudi have been reported missing in the raging Australian busfires. They are students from commercial cooking of William Angliss Institute. When leaving their residence at Surrey Hills, neither realized the fire creeping up on them.
"Both of them were heading to a tourism area using a purple Honda Jazz.They were very eager to go there. I suspect they didn't realise that there was fire," said Rudi's sister, Julianne as quoted on TheAge.com.au, Thursday, Feb. 12.
The two missing Indonesians are exchange students. According to Julianne, they did not fully realize the threat from the big fire which blazes the bushes in Australia.
Julianne stated that her brother has been living in Melbourne for two years. By the time of the fire, Rudi and Dean wanted to travel the country while documenting the scenery before they start their jobs at a Japanese restaurant at Toorak. "He accepted the part-time job offer. Before he started his job on Wednesday, both wanted to take a ride," added Julianne.
Spokeperson of the department of foreign affairs, Teuku Faizasyah, confirmed that indeed the two Indonesians are missing. "There are two Indonesians missing out there. Information on both of them is still being verified," said Faizasyah at Foreign Affairs Department, Jakarta, Thursday, Feb. 12.
In a short message to VIVAnews, Faizasyah also said that it has been quite sometime since Julianne heard from her brother. "She said that she has lost contact with her brother, Rudi (28) and his friend, Dean Lesmano, since Saturday, 7 February 2009."
Based on the information from Indonesian Consulate General in Melbourne, Rudi and Dean came from North Sumatera and Samarinda respectively. According to Faizasyah, the consulate in Melbourne cannot enter the location of the fire. "Only security and rescue teams are allowed into the location," he said. However, he added, the Foreign Affairs Department has sent a personnel to the area for coordinating.
The Indonesian Consulate General in Melbourne also gave a contact person for recent news of Indonesians on the fire site. "There's a contact person at the consulate, Abel +61406183343," he said.
Information has it that the great bushfires in Australia has caused 181 casualities, wounded 500, and burned 1,000 homes. The fire has also destroyed around 365,000 acres of land since it started last week in Victoria, southeast of Australia.
Translated by: Ariyantri E. Tarman
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