ABC news, Australia, this morning reported Indonesia’s disaster agency spokesman, who continued to accurately and quickly inform Indonesians about the country’s frequent natural calamities from his hospital bed while he fought stage-four cancer, has died.
As his personal tragedy unfolded, the year would become one of the worst in recent memory for natural disasters in Indonesia. Thousands died in a series of earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and landslides.
Mr Nugroho continued to work while enduring intense pain, typing news releases from his hospital bed after undergoing chemotherapy, updating social media, holding press conferences and fielding calls from reporters at any hour.
In a country where many officials are notorious for economy with the truth or outright distortion, Mr Nugroho distinguished himself by aligning the facts, combating hoaxes and frequently drawing attention to lack of disaster preparedness and human-made factors that worsen natural calamities.
Key points
- Sutopo Purwo Nugroho has been referred to as a “humanitarian hero”
- He became known for delivering credible information regarding the worst year of natural disasters in Indonesia
- He continued to work during chemotherapy
