The Star Online: Metro: Central
The Star Online: Metro: Central |
| Posted: SONG Seoung Hwan, who watched his family die in last week's road tragedy on the Central Expressway, is alive today only because he was at the side of the car jacking it up. That act saved his life when a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) ploughed into his parents, his sister and her boyfriend, who were standing at the rear of the Toyota Wish at 4am last Friday. The 30-year-old Korean said at Changi Airport last night: "My mum was thrown about 30m to 40m away. "My dad and sister lay right in front of the wheels of the MPV." Song, a professional golfer based in China, returned to South Korea yesterday with his family's ashes. But that horrific split second in which he lost his family continues to haunt him. "I turned around and I saw the car speeding towards us and hit us," he recounted with trembling lips. "I was unhurt. I don't know why." At the time of the accident, Song was kneeling on the right side of the car, which had suffered a punctured tyre. It was pulled over on the chevron area when the MPV slammed into them. His sister Jamie Song Jisoo, 24, his father Song Jung Woo, 56, and mother Kim Mee Kyung, 54, were killed at the scene of the accident. Jamie's boyfriend, Singaporean Amron Ayoub, 23, died later in hospital. He had been taking the family to the airport. According to Song, Amron was trying to retrieve the spare tyre from the car boot when he was struck by the MPV. Song said: "On the day of the accident, I told Amron, 'You are a second brother to me'." The last time he saw Amron alive, the Singaporean was being taken away in an ambulance. Another ambulance ferried the MPV driver, who complained of chest pains, said Song. The MPV driver was later arrested for dangerous driving causing death and has since been released on bail. Police said investigations are ongoing. Yesterday morning, mourners flew in from Korea for the funeral of Jamie and her parents. About 100 relatives and friends came to pay their respects. Amron's family, who had buried him last Friday, also attended the funeral at Mandai Crematorium. They sobbed loudly as the covers of the three coffins were lifted for them to take a final look. Song, his brother Jihwan, 28, and their relatives went from his father's coffin on the left to his mother's, then his sister's. They spoke to the deceased in Korean and wept as they reached out to touch their faces and kissed them goodbye for the last time. A hat was placed in the father's coffin, and some clothes and cards were placed in Jamie's. The Song brothers had to be restrained to allow the bodies to be cremated. After composing himself, the older brother said he would return for the outcome of police investigations and to attend any court hearing. "It is not over yet," he vowed. "I will be back." — The Straits Times / Asia News Network |
| Firm launches in-flight prayer app for Muslims Posted: A SINGAPORE-based company has launched an iPhone app alerting Muslims when to pray and in which direction they should face even when they're 10,000m in the air. Travellers input the flight details and are provided with prayer times during their journey, as well as the direction of the Muslim holy city of Mecca. Crescentrating, a firm that gives "halal" or Islam-compliant ratings to hotels and other travel-related establishments, plans to make the free app, called Crescent Trips, available to Android smartphones within months, chief executive Fazal Bahardeen said. The app also includes audio clips of prayers Muslims – required to pray five times daily at certain hours – recite when they travel. — AFP |
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