Dr Rumihati
KOTA KINABALU: The New Zealand accident involving a family of five from Sabah has claimed another life, bringing the number of fatalities to four.
Afifah Saiffuddin, a 33-year-old niece of the late Dr Rumihati Abd Hamid, confirmed that Nur Irfan Adnan, 15, died at 6.30pm local time (1.30 pm Malaysian time) yesterday.
Afifah said she received the news from her family member who is now at the Christchurch Hospital.
Nur Irfan was the eldest child of the late Putatan Health Clinic director and Adnan Jemain, both 49, who were killed in the crash.
The second child of the couple, Maisarah Arifah Adanan, 13, was also killed in the accident while their youngest child Nur Arifah, 11, was reported to be stable.
“Family members who went there were in time to meet Nur Irfan before she died as she was in a critical condition after the mishap,” she said when met at her family residence in Kampung Ulu Putatan here yesterday.
According to Afifah, all the remains were expected to be buried today (December 9) and were in the process of waiting for permission for the funeral in Christchurch.
Meanwhile, Afifah said the ‘ghaib’ prayer (prayer for a Muslim who died in a far away place) for the remains of the victims would only be performed after all businesses in New Zealand were completed.
“For the time being, Nur Arifah is being treated at the Wellington Hospital. She is accompanied by one of my siblings and another of our cousin who had just arrived in the afternoon, local time,” she said.
The family was holidaying in New Zealand when the car they were travelling in was involved in a collision with a lorry on National Highway 1, northern Kaikoura about 3.10pm local time on Friday.