'I only heard my wife utter Allahu Akbar', says Bentong crash survivor

KOTA BHARU, Jan 29  -- “I only heard my wife utter Allahu Akhbar (Allah is the greatest) before the collision,” said Mohd Nazri Hamid, 44, in recalling the accident at KM 2 Jalan Lebu-Mempaga, Bentong, Pahang that claimed the lives of his wife and three children yesterday.

The Toyota Vellfire multipurpose vehicle (MPV) that Mohd Nazri and family were travelling in was hit by a Nissan Navara pickup truck which was believed to have run a red light, resulting in the deaths of his wife Raihan Mohamad, 43, an English teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Aring, Gua Musang, and their three children - Ahda Dalili Mohd Nazri, aged 14; Ahmad Muaz, seven; and Ahda Imtinan, four.

Mohd Nazri, also a teacher in the same school, said they were heading for Kuala Lumpur from the school housing quarters in Gua Musang at 10 am to attend a wedding feast on that same day.

"We encountered a road diversion near Sungai Koyan due to an overturned trailer which delayed us  for about 30 minutes. As I continued towards  Karak-Kuala Lumpur, my vehicle was hit by a pickup truck, a Nissan Navara, which was believed to have jumped a red light.

"In that split moment, I could only hear my wife say 'Allahu Akhbar' before she and my children were flung out. I didn’t have time to do anything and I didn’t even see the other car coming,” he said tearfully, when met by reporters at the Mukim Panchor Muslim Cemetery, Pengkalan Chepa, here, today.

The remains of Raihan and her three children were buried in a common grave at 9.50 am, today.

-- BERNAMA