Indonesian Woman Misses Sriwijaya Air Flight SJ182 Due To Late COVID-19 Test Result

Woman couldn’t board SJ182 due to late COVID-19 test result

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Hj Rachmawati, an Indonesian woman scheduled to board Sriwijaya Air SJ182 from Jakarta to Pontianak in West Kalimantan, was forced to cancel her 9th January flight booking when her PCR swab test result did not come out on time. PCR swab tests like this are now mandatory for everyone traveling domestically in Indonesia, and it usually takes 2-3 days for people to receive their results.

Speaking to local media, Rachmawati said she was originally going to Pontianak to visit her family, and had initially been upset about her late PCR swab test results causing her to miss her flight.

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In a stroke of fate, the plane was reported missing just minutes after boarding time.

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Her COVID-19 test results were only released after the Sriwijaya Air SJ182 plane took off

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What a PCR swab test sample looks like. Image for illustration purposes only.
Image adapted from Bahrul Efendi

Rachmawati also revealed to local reporters that she had booked the ticket flight many days in advance and even called Sriwijaya Air to confirm her flight booking. However, her PCR test result only came out on the afternoon of Saturday, 9th January after the plane had departed. Hence, she was forced to cancel her booking.

When the news of the missing flight broke, Rachmawati’s family members in Pontianak immediately tried to contact her. They found that Rachmawati had canceled her booking because of the test result delay.

Supadio International Airport in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia
Image credit: PT Angkasa Pura II/Wikimedia Commons

After receiving her test result, Rachmawati flew the following day with AirAsia and made it safely to her family’s home in Pontianak.

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The search continues for the black box and victims’ bodies

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Body parts found at the rescue site
Image credit: EPA, AFP

The search for the plane’s 2 black boxes continues as signals from the devices were detected yesterday, and its location in the Java Sea north of Jakarta has been identified.

More human body parts have also been retrieved by rescuers, as families of victims wait for the bodies to be identified so they can perform the last rites for their family members.

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May the victims rest in peace

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We hope for the search process to go smoothly and hope for the relatives of the victims to be given strength and patience during this difficult time. Our condolences go to the victims’ families and loved ones.

For more Indonesia news, check out:

• Flight SJ182’s flight data recorder, also called a black box, has been found
• Mom and kids boarded SJ182, daughter’s pink hoodie found at crash site
• President Jokowi to receive COVID-19 vaccine on 13th January
• Only 8 Indonesians dug graves for not wearing masks, as a form of community service

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Cover image adapted from: Ekkaratk & Sindonews
All images for illustration purposes only.

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