JAKARTA, Indonesia — An Indonesian air traffic controller is being posthumously hailed as a hero for refusing to leave his post despite devastating earthquakes so that he could guide a passenger jet safely off the ground. Twenty-one-year-old Anthonius Gunawan Agung was on duty in the air traffic control tower at Palu’s Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie airport when a series of earthquakes struck the city in Sulawesi island on Friday. ADVERTISEMENTOfficials say he refused to leave his post until he got an Batik Air plane off the ground, while his colleagues who were not handling aircraft departed. After Flight 6231 was safely in the air the quakes became ever-stronger, culminating in a 7.5 magnitude jolt and tsunami. The company will raise Agung’s rank by two levels as a sign of appreciation for his extraordinary dedication, AirNav said in a statement.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 30, 2018 08:26 UTC