Injured baby in falling tree incident dies

MELAKA, Nov 13 (Bernama) -- A baby boy who was injured by a falling Casuarina tree at Pantai Puteri in Tanjong Kling yesterday evening, died at 12.38 am today, while receiving treatment at the Melaka Hospital.

Melaka Tengah district police chief ACP Christopher Patit said the victim, Mohd Zafran Ilman Mohd Sazwan, aged one year and four months, was being carried by his mother, Nurulhuda Md Ali, 34, who was also injured by the falling tree, during the incident.

"Police received information about the incident at about 6.43 pm yesterday and when they arrived at the scene, we found that a Casuarina tree had fallen and there were two victims at the scene. It is understood that the victim's family, from Kajang, Selangor, had come on a holiday and were staying at one of the resorts there.

"While the mother was carrying her baby and walking towards the beach, the tree suddenly fell and hit both of them," he said in a statement here today.

Christopher said according to an eyewitness, the mother's head was buried under the sand whereas the baby was thrown into a thicket of leaves and tree branches.

"The public helped to dig the victim out of the sand. The mother suffered several injuries on her body while the baby was unconscious and suspected of having suffered head injuries.

"Both victims were given initial treatment by the Civil Defence Force (APM) and then sent to the Melaka Hospital for further treatment," he added.

-- BERNAMA