Three Siblings, Aged 8, 11 And 18, Killed In Pontian Crash While Riding To School Amid Thick Haze
Their mother had told the younger children to stay home because schools were closed due to worsening haze. When they insisted on going, their older brother took them to see for themselves that the school was shut.
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Three siblings, aged 8, 11, and 18, were killed when the motorcycle they were riding collided with a lorry in Pontian, Johor, on the morning of 8 October, amid worsening haze that had prompted the state to close all schools for two days
The crash happened at about 7am along Jalan Parit Haji Sirat, around 200m from the siblings' home in Kampung Parit Haji Sirat.
Their mother, Julaiha Munaji, 42, said she had told her younger children, Nor Daniel Fikri Norlizan, 11, and Puteri Naufal Raisya, 8, that they did not need to attend school because all schools in Johor had been closed due to the haze.
However, the two children insisted on going to school. Their 18-year-old brother, Nor Daniel Aiman, eventually took them there on his motorcycle to show them that the school was closed, according to the New Straits Times.
"I told them there was no need to go because school was closed today, but they insisted. So their older brother took them there to show them that the school was indeed closed. But on the way home, they were involved in the accident," Julaiha said.
The two younger children reportedly attended SK Parit Sapran.
Julaiha Munaji, the grieving mother.
Image via Sinar HarianThe mother learnt about the accident after a resident came to inform the family that the motorcycle carrying her children had collided with a lorry
"My husband and eldest child rushed to the scene, but all three had already been taken to Pontian Hospital," she told the English newspaper.
Two of the siblings died at the scene, while Aiman was taken to hospital by ambulance but later died from his injuries.
Videos circulating on social media showed dense haze around the crash site, with visibility appearing severely reduced.
Footage also showed the three victims lying beside the lorry and on the grass by the roadside. The force of the collision shattered the lorry's windscreen, scattering debris across the road.
The three siblings were killed after the motorcycle they were riding collided with a lorry at Jalan Parit Haji Sirat here around 7am yesterday, 8 October
Image via New Straits TimesThe children were cheerful before leaving home
Julaiha, who has six children, said the three siblings had shown no signs of anything unusual before leaving the house that morning.
"Nor Daniel Fikri told me he wanted to play football. He even washed the shoes I had just bought for him," she said.
She added that the siblings were very close and had slept with the family the night before the accident.
"Aiman was quiet, but he liked joking with me. They were all very close," she said.
Julaiha also said Aiman had helped her care for his younger siblings after she was involved in an accident four months earlier while returning from taking them to school.
"He helped me a lot, including taking his younger siblings to school," she said.
The victim's mother could not contain her grief when informed that three of her children had died in an accident while on their way home from school.
Image via Sinar HarianThe crash happened on the first day of a two-day school closure announced by the Johor state government in response to worsening haze and deteriorating air quality
Johor Education and Information Committee chairman Mohd Naji said in a Facebook post on 7 October that all schools in the state would close on 8 and 9 October, following the decree of the Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail.
More than 610,000 students were affected by the closure, with schools switching to Home-Based Teaching and Learning (PdPR) to protect students' health and safety.
