Brothers killed while on their way home from funeral
IPOH: Two teenage brothers who were returning home to Sungai Petani, Kedah, after attending a relative’s funeral in Kuala Lumpur were killed when a bus hit their car along the North-South Expressway near Kamunting.
Their mother R. Kommathi, 36, suffered serious injuries, while their stepfather, K. Shanker Ganesh, 41, a construction project manager who was driving the Nissan Sentra, sustained minor injuries.
Acting Taiping OCPD Supt Razlam Ab Hamid said R. Vijaydren Rao, 16, died on the spot, while R. Shankar Rao, 13, died at the Taiping Hospital.
Both were in the back seat. During the 4.30am incident yesterday at the 203.5th kilometre of the expressway, the car had grazed the side of a lorry and stopped in the middle of the expressway where an express bus crashed into it.
When met at the mortuary, the uncle of the siblings, N.K. Sasi, 32, said he met his nephews only last week.
The construction project manager from Rawang said: “The family is unable to accept the fact that the boys are no more. They were too young to go.”
“I got to know about the accident at about 5am, and when I rushed to the hospital, and met my brother Shanker Ganesh there, he was too traumatised to speak.
“My sister-in-law is warded at the intensive care unit and Shanker is by her side while we make the funeral arrangements.”
Sasi’s wife B. Jayaga, 28, said the boys were smart, jovial, hardworking, friendly and active in sports.
She said the elder boy had represented Penang at a state-level football tournament, and also represented Kedah at a silambam (martial arts) competition.
“They will be dearly missed by all the family members, as they were the ‘pillar of happiness’ for the family,” she added.