Aszura Asked To Seek Help Before Drowning, Says Elder Sister

TAPAH, Feb 8 (Bernama) -- Aslinda Bani, 38, a survivor of the tragic water surge incident at Sungai Kenjur, Kampung Poh, Bidor, recounted that her sister, Aszura Bani, 36, who perished in the incident, had asked her to seek help from the villagers when the former and her three children were trapped in the water surge incident yesterday evening.

Aslinda, the fifth child out of 13 siblings, said the incident happened in a blink of an eye and she was saved after being pulled by a resident.

"At that moment, my late sister, who was clutching her two children, asked me to seek help from the villagers.

"After getting assistance, I returned to the scene, but everything was gone, and my sister’s body was found near the scene," she said, unable to contain the sadness of losing Aszura, who was the sixth child among her siblings.

Aslinda was met by reporters during the funeral of her two nieces - Hanum Marissa Azam, 2, and Hanna Mikayla Azam, 7 - and nephew Hafif Muhayat Azam, 4, who also perished in the incident.

The remains of the three siblings were laid to rest in a single grave at around 6.20 pm at the Bidor Muslim Cemetery here today, next to the grave of Aszura, who was buried earlier today.

Meanwhile, Aszura's husband, Azam Radin Mustapha, 46, who was deeply saddened by the incident involving his wife and three children, said that during the incident, he was working in Gopeng and rushed to the scene when informed by one of his relatives.

"When I arrived, my wife was already found drowned," said an emotional Azam.

Meanwhile, Azam's sister, Ainur Radin Mustapha, 51, said that the domestic worker, who held onto a river rock during the incident had attempted to save Hafif, but he slipped from her grasp.

"Hafif asked her not to let go of him and told her that he loved her, but the domestic helper was helpless as the current was too strong," she said.

At about 4 pm yesterday, six family members and a domestic helper were trapped in a water surge phenonemenon during a picnic at Sungai Kenjur, before Aszura's body was found in the evening, followed by the discovery of Hafif's body at 9.45 pm, and the bodies of Hanna Mikayla and Hanum Marissa early today.

However, Aslinda and her 12-year-old son, along with the Indonesian domestic helper, survived.

-- BERNAMA