SMELL OF DEATH & DETTOL

By Rick & Jason at 30 Jan 2005 - 17:32

Just north of Patek several kampungs were strung out along the coast road backed by extensive marshes. The residents had nowhere to run to and no chance to escape. The only survivors were those who were away in the hills or out fishing in deep water. The larger twin villages of KUALA BANGKONG and BABAN NIPAH were located close to a hilly peninsular and some made it to high ground. Yesterday 150 of the remaining men trekked 5km through the swamps to bury the remains of victims washed up in the piles of debris. Two bodies were found the day before close to the village and we arrived at 9.30 with 100 body bags, 50 gloves and 50 boots plus food and tarps so that the men could stay till the gruesome work is finished. The blowflies and the smell give away the location of the bodies but many are buried under tons of trees and debris and it will never be possible to get to them.

After retrieving the remains the village head arranged them carefully, symbolically washed the body and then lifted it gently into the body bag. Prayers were joined by our ship's crew and Pak Ichsan and the body's buried and marked by live sapplings.

We showed the men how to wash gloves and boots in dettol and then their hands and arms. As we review these images, the smell of dettol and death returns to all of us who watched this grim but urgent work.