LABUAN BAJO / DENPASAR, Indonesia — In a somber step toward closure, the bodies of Valencia CF coach Fernando Martín Carreras and his 12-year-old daughter have been cremated in Bali. The rites were performed after logistical necessity brought their remains from Labuan Bajo, where the search for the coach’s two missing sons presses on.
Family liaison Budi Widjaja confirmed the cremations took place on Tuesday, January 6. The decision followed the earlier transfer of both bodies to the larger island due to the limited capacity of mortuary facilities in Labuan Bajo, a remote port town overwhelmed by the prolonged tragedy.
“The bodies were cremated in Bali,” stated Widjaja, adding that the family intends to transport the ashes to Spain, the family’s home country.
This administrative and ceremonial process marks a painful pivot for the grieving family. The coach was recovered on January 4, his daughter on December 29, after the KM Putri Sakinah sank in the Padar Strait on December 26. While these rites offer a form of resolution, they occur against a backdrop of agonizing uncertainty.
The coach’s wife and other relatives remain in Bali, awaiting any development in the ongoing search. Their youngest child, who survived the sinking, has reportedly already been taken to Spain. The sole focus of the massive, multi-agency search operation in Komodo National Park is now the couple’s two sons, aged 9 and 10, whose fate remains unknown as the mission enters its critical final phase. The main wreckage of the vessel itself also remains elusive.
The cremations in Bali represent a private moment of farewell, conducted far from the turbulent search waters. They highlight the complex, multi-layered journey of a family navigating profound loss, logistical hurdles, and the slow, painful wait for answers, all while in a foreign land.
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