Plane crash survivor

Awang Sigar with his right arm in a sling

Have anybody read news on a deadly plane crash in Yogyakarta on March 7? It come flashing around the world and eventually make its way to Brunei in the form of an article published in the local newspaper (Borneo Bulletin dated 17/3/07)?

The article evolves around a plane crash survivor, Awang Sigar Labau, 48 (pic) who happen to be a Bruneian. He recounts his horrific ordeal after Garuda plane he was traveling with his colleague crashed landed and exploded into a ball of fire. Miraculously, he survived along with other 119 passengers who were either unscathed or partially burnt but other 21 passengers or crews perished. The horrifying recounts of his ordeal merits compliment as he managed to save an anguished Indonesian passenger who clung to his shoulder in desperation and he grasped him to safety by jumping from the exit door.

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“I will survive”: Awang Sigar recounting his horrific ordeal after surviving from Garuda crash (BB-17/3/07) The weather condition was perfectly fine. The pilot announced it through a headphone a few minutes after the ill-fated plane bound for the cultural capital of Yogyakarta took off, some 440km away from Jakarta. Awang Sigar Labau, 48, was one of the passengers aboard the Garuda Airways Boeing 737- 400. He was on his way to attend a meeting of the Working Committee on Asean Capital Accounts Liberalization in the city. However, he failed to show up at the meeting as the doomed aircraft overshot the runaway, caught in a ball of fire and exploded while landing at Yogyakarta’s Adi Sucipto shortly before 7am local time on Wed, March 7. “We departed from hotel at 4.30am and expected to reach Yogyakarta in 45 minutes. I didn’t take the breakfast in the plane as I have taken one at the hotel. I have to sit at the back row with my colleague, Ak Sharulazmi, after a cabin crew told us there was no space left if we insist to sit at the front row of the plane,” told Awang Sigar relating his ordeal during a total chaos developing at the cabin seconds before the plane slammed onto the ground and skidded off the runway, caught fire after hitting the fence and landed on a paddy field. The plane was carrying 133 passengers and 7 crew members. 21 deaths were recorded. Awang Sigar fractured his right shoulder as well as pains and bruises in the abdomen area while Ak Sharulazmi unscathed.

“Luckily, the emergency door was a few steps away from where we sat. During the mayhem, we have no choice but to jump over the seats behind us as the passage leading to the back door was blocked by panicking and surging passengers.

I realized a shoe was missing from my left feet apparently came off during the melee. I managed to grasp it between the advancing feet and out of nowhere, after putting on the shoe, a notion creeping through my conscious mind that I repeatedly said to myself, “I will survive,” recounted his last-ditched effort to break loose from the intoxicating smoke and fire. On his way to the exit door, an Indonesian passenger suddenly clung to his shoulder begging for assistance as he was having a great difficulty of standing up steadily. He grasped him firmly and made an incredible escape from the inferno by jumping over the safety slide.

“We didn’t slip through the slide as it must have been damaged by the heavy load of escaping passengers. Pushing and shoving were the order of the day as everybody rammed the exit door. As soon as our feet landed on a flat surface, we knew by then we were cheated death,” explained Awang Sigar describing moments after he and other passengers managed to scramble to safety and forcefully took shelter on the paddy field before help arrived.

“As far as I can remembered, I got a nasty knock on my right shoulder. My body must have been thrown forward hitting at the back of the front seats as the plane was maneuvering violently on its way to taxiing. I could see the runway through the window when suddenly the light went off and Ak Sharulazmi screamed when he spotted a smoke billowing from the left wing and soon after, we smell smoke inside the fuselage. I heard a shout presumably a crew member directing us to evacuate. Ak Sharulazmi was quick to react and I followed his trail,” said Awang Sigar.

Still dazing and trying to comprehend what had transpired on him, he found himself standing in a no man’s land. He witnessed a total devastation with the plane was reduced to a smoldering wreck of twisted metal, survivors nursing injuries and tears rolling down their cheeks strolling aimlessly on the hilly paddy field. “The scenery was like a war battlefield,” Awang Sigar exclaimed. “Thank God I’ve been given another lease of life,” added Awang Sigar referring to his battle against nose cancer in 2001 and subsequently survived. “I made a phone call to my immediate relative in Brunei as I didn’t want to break the dreaded news to my wife and children. I wanted to relay the bad news as calmly as possible.”

The survivors were immediately evacuated and taken to a nearby military hospital. From the x-ray result, Awang Sigar’s right shoulder was fractured which he believed suffered when it banged against the metal surface during the turbulent touch down. Two Brunei embassy officials in Jakarta dashed to Yogyakarta to ascertain the extent of their condition after being informed of the accident from relevant authorities to expedite necessary arrangements to bring them home via Jakarta.

Awang Sigar and Ak Sharulazmi were transferred to a privately-run local international hospital and hospitalized there for two days. After surviving the near impossible, fear gripping his mind again. They have to choose whether to travel to Jakarta by land or plane. If they decided to take a car, they might feel discomfort as they have to endure 7 to 8 hours of traveling.

“I was trembling and the vivid memory of a crash came flashing deep into my minds. I made me shivered as the ‘prospect’ of going through another horrifying ordeal was on the cards. Obviously traveling by car would aggravate further my condition, I brushed aside my baseless premonition and take a plane instead,” evoked Awang Sigar when he forced himself to make a crucial decision to take him and his colleague to Jakarta operated by the same airline.

Awang Sigar and Ak. Sharulazmi stayed overnight at Jakarta before flown back to Brunei March, 10 by Brunei Airlines to the awaiting and comforting arms of their family. From the airport, they were taken to RIPAS Hospital for further medical screening. Awang Sigar was given a 5 weeks’ leave from duty to help him fully recovered from the horrific accident.

“The tragedy will haunt me forever. However, it would not deter me from traveling on an airplane again. Time will tell. I thank the Brunei Embassy in Jakarta, Garuda Airlines, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, other ministries and individuals for their prompt and utmost support and assistance during our extreme predicament.

Awang Sigar is the Assistance Director of Financial Institution, Ministry of Finance since December 2005. He hails from Kg. Parit in Temburong District and bless with five children.