Nuffnang

Amazon

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Kampar Bridge Tragedy :Sorrow

Follow up to the Kampar bridge tragedy which caused the death of 3 students which shows us that good workmanship is a must in building of new structures to prevent anymore tragedy from happening. 

GOPENG: It was an emotional scene at drowned victim V. Divyashree’s home in Taman Changkat Golf here as her father chased away her schoolmates.

The grief-stricken father seemed on the verge of a breakdown as he went on a rampage and yelled for the group of pupils from SJK (T) Gopeng to leave.

”Don’t send children to school. They are all killing them,” K. Vasudevan, 34, a technician in Kuala Lumpur, repeatedly screamed as a few men tried to restrain him and calm him down.

Crying hysterically, the dozen schoolchildren obeyed and waited at a house opposite.

”Her father was very upset to see us. He said that he didn’t want to see anyone wearing school uniforms.

”But then, we only wanted to say our goodbyes to Divyashree,” said one of them.

The children were later ushered into the house when Vasudevan finally calmed down and remained outside the house.

Divyashree’s 41-year-old mother R. Kanakam fainted a few times due to grief. She was briefly warded at the Kampar Hospital earlier after fainting outside its mortuary.

Gopeng MIC branch Wanita chief P. Sarojini, who is a close friend of the family, said the couple could not accept the death of their eldest daughter as they had both been confident that she would return safely.

”They had both believed she was merely lost in some jungle. Day after day, they would wait at the site in Kuala Dipang for her return.

”The truth only hit them at the mortuary when it was confirmed that the body found was of their daughter,” she said.

Sarojini said Divyashree was an intelligent and obedient girl, and that she had been her parent’s hope for a brighter future.

”On her own, she would wake up at 4am in the morning to study. She would always tell me how good it would be if she could get RM100 for every A she obtains in her UPSR examination so that she can give the money to her parents.

”In fact, she was the one who encouraged her parents to take part in the Human Resource Ministry retraining scheme in Kuala Lumpur just so that the family could lead a better life.

”She did not mind being left behind with her younger sister to stay with their neighbour,” Sarojini said.

The scene at the home of M. Devatharshini in Taman Diawan, Mambang Diawan here, was relatively calmer.

Her father K. Mageswaran, whose eyes had been swollen from too much crying, said his daughter’s death seemed surreal.

”Sometimes, I have to sit and think if all this is real. I keep wishing that it is just a dream.

”She was our only daughter and I loved her the most,” the father said, breaking down into tears.

The last time he saw his daughter alive was when he had arrived home at noon as Devatharshini was about to leave on her bicycle.

”She had clothes and things packed in her basket. She started crying when she saw me and pleaded with me to allow her to go to the camp.

”Because I loved her, I gave her permission.

”She wrote a letter to her mother and placed it on the altar, begging for her mother’s forgiveness and blessings,” he added.

Mageswaran later received RM3,000 from the nearby Ngan Yin Groundnut Factory Sdn Bhd where his wife, R. Nagaratana works as a packer.

Perak executive councillor Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon, who visited both families, told reporters that the state government would help out the victims’ families with a contribution of RM10,000 each.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/10/29/nation/20091029182726&sec=nation

No comments :

Nuffnang

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails