THREE FAMILY MEMBERS KILLED IN KLUANG FOUR-VEHICLE CRASH LAID TO REST

KOTA TINGGI, March 28 (Bernama) -- The remains of three family members who perished in a four-vehicle crash at KM58.1 of the North-South Expressway (PLUS) in Kluang last night were laid to rest at Makam Dagang Muslim Cemetery, Kampung Makam, this evening.

The bodies of Nasaarudin Pardi, 36, his wife Siti Khazira Bani, 35, and their two-year-old daughter Mariam, were buried in a common grave at 6.20 pm.

Earlier, funeral prayers were held at Al Muttaqin Mosque in Taman Kota Jaya, where family members and friends paid their last respects.

Meanwhile, Siti Khazira’s sister, Nur Hafiza Bani, 36, said the family had planned a Hari Raya photo shoot at 10 am today.

“They (Siti Khazira and her family) left Bukit Jalil after Isyak prayers. Around 11.30 pm, my younger brother texted her to ask if there was a traffic jam, but she didn’t reply.

“I felt something was off because she always replied to our messages. She never fell asleep while travelling and would always keep her husband company during long drives. Her phone battery never ran out during long trips either. Then, around 3 am, we got a call saying that they had been involved in an accident,” she said, adding that the last time they met was during the first week of Ramadan when they broke fast together.

Meanwhile, Siti Khazira’s younger brother, Taufiq Bani, 33, told reporters at Enche Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital (HEBHK) Forensic Unit that his late sister and her husband had chosen matching black outfits for their family this Hari Raya.

“My sister told me she would be wearing black this year. I found it strange because she had never worn black for Hari Raya before,” he said, adding that Siti Khazira’s two children, aged nine and four, who are being treated at HEBHK, will be transferred to a hospital in Kota Tinggi to be closer to their family. Another child is now at their grandmother’s house here.

Earlier, Kluang district police chief ACP Bahrin Mohd Noh said five people, including a two-year-old toddler, were killed in a four-vehicle crash at KM58.1 of the PLUS in Kluang at 11.30 pm.

According to Bahrin, the accident was believed to have happened when a Volvo lorry lost control due to a tyre blowout, grazed a Toyota Camry, and then veered into the opposite lane before crashing into a Proton X50 and a Honda Stepwagon Spada carrying the couple and their children.

A 35-year-old lorry driver has been remanded for a day following the fatal accident and the case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

-- BERNAMA