Head of Data Information and Public Relations Centre for the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, had succumbed to lung cancer at the age of 49.
Sutopo passed away on Sunday 7th July 2019 at a Guangzhou hospital in China.
His family is still making arrangements with the Indonesian Embassy in China to bring his body back to Indonesia. Earlier in June, Sutopo stated that he will seek medical treatment in Guangzhou. On 15th June 2019, he had also documented his journey to China via a vlog.
“At the moment, I am still at Soekarno Hatta International Airport in order to go to Guangzhou, China for my cancer treatment, in which the cancer felt getting worse and becoming more painful,” he recorded several weeks ago via his Instagram account. Sutopo also explained that the cancer cells had spread to many of his bones and organs.
President Joko Widodo has conveyed his heartfelt condolences via his Instagram account. According to the president, Sutopo had dedicated his life to the country by providing warnings and latest updates about natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides and fires. The president also quoted Sutopo’s famous saying: “It is not the length of your life that matters, it is your ability to help others that matters most.”
Source: Kompas, Instagram
Image: Liputan 6