Baling Floods: Bodies Of Pregnant Woman And Mother-In-Law Found Embracing Each Other
The pregnant victim would have learned the gender of her baby on the day she passed away.
By Ivyna Ong — 06 Jul 2022, 05:15 PM
The bodies of a pregnant woman and her mother-in-law were found hugging each other at 9.30am on Tuesday, 5 July, after being swept away by the flood currents in Baling, Kedah
Rescue workers recovered their bodies about 100m away from their damaged house in Kampung Iboi.
As reported by New Straits Times, state Fire and Rescue Department director Sayani Saidon said that the bodies of 23-year-old Nurul Anis Abu Hassan, and her mother-in-law, 53-year-old Salmah Mat Akib, were found under a pile of tree trunks and sustained no injuries.
"We believe the victims were swept away alongside the tree branches and rocks before they got stuck under a pile of wood debris," said Sayani.
Nurul was four months pregnant and would have learned the gender of her baby yesterday, 5 July
Nurul was very excited about her unborn child and was looking forward to her baby's arrival by purchasing and preparing baby items, her husband, 24-year-old Mohd Khairul Asyraf Nor Azman, was quoted as saying by New Straits Times.
Khairul told Harian Metro that she had already prepared names for their baby. Since it was a boy, she would have wanted to name him Muhammad Aidan.
The husband, who works in Penang, was supposed to return home and fulfil his wife's wish of eating pizza on the day of her passing.
"Although I was upset because I did not have time to fulfil the request of my late wife to take her out to eat today, I have accepted what happened as fate," he said.
Alongside Khairul's wife and mother, his 14-year-old brother, Khairul Ikhwan Nor Azman, was also found on the same day at 11.55am
"I am grateful that the bodies of the three people I love were found in less than 24 hours and in perfect condition by the rescue team today," said Khairul.
"Since last night (4 July), I have been praying that my mother, wife, and younger brother would be found as soon as possible."
The bodies of the three family members, as well as Nurul's unborn baby, were laid to rest in Kampung Charok Bemban early this morning, 6 July.
Mohd Khairul Asyraf Nor Azman holding his unborn son who was laid to rest at the Kampung Charuk Bemban Dalam Cemetery on 6 July.
Image via Harian MetroMeanwhile, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Takiyuddin Hassan said that the Baling flash floods were not due to active logging activity
Takiyuddin mentioned on Bernama Radio's Jendela Fikir programme yesterday, 5 July, that a report by the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM) confirmed that there was no active logging activity and investigations found that the trees were swept away along with their roots.
Furthermore, the forest development has planted 5,000 trees in the 52-hectare area, Bernama reported Takiyuddin as saying.
"This is a natural disaster, there may be many reasons for it to happen and that is why the ministry is very serious in taking care of biodiversity and the environment," he said.
