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Victim Who Died In Uprooted Tree Incident Was Driving To Hotel To Pick Up Company Guest

The 47-year-old victim, Md Rizal, worked as a private tour guide.

Cover image via Hairul Anuar Rahim/Berita Harian & The Fire and Rescue Department via Harian Metro

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The victim who died at Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, yesterday, 7 May, was en route to a hotel to pick up a company guest when the uprooted tree incident occurred

Speaking to Berita Harian, 38-year-old Shahrizal Atan said his 47-year-old brother, Md Rizal, worked as a private tour guide.

"His office called my brother [during the incident] because the guest had been waiting for a long time.

"They said [my brother] was never slow to pick up anyone, but he wasn't reachable on the phone yesterday," Shahrizal told the daily when met at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

He added that after the incident, his brother's child contacted him, saying they couldn't contact his brother.

His nephew also said the police visited his brother's family in Manjung, Perak, because that was the address on the victim's identification card.

"The neighbour told my nephew that the police had come to look for my brother's family, but the family was not in Manjung. I advised them to calm down, as [my brother's death] was not verified yet, I was trying to find information," recounted Shahrizal.

He mentioned that he was aware of the uprooted tree incident yesterday but did not expect his brother to be a victim of the tragedy.

As soon as he received information from the authorities, Shahrizan immediately took his wife and four of his brother's children to identify the body.

The victim's brother, Shahrizal Atan.

Image via Hairul Anuar Rahim/Berita Harian

Shahrizal described Md Rizal as a kind person who always took good care of his siblings

He shared that Md Rizal maintained a close relationship with all his brothers, saying, "All of us boys were close, we would discuss anything together."

"He also helped my father a lot at the hospital, as did his employer. They lent us a wheelchair and a vehicle to transport my father to the hospital," Shahrizal told Berita Harian.

Md Rizal is expected to be buried at Tanah Perkuburan Islam Seksyen 21, Shah Alam, after a prayer ceremony at the Al-Ehsan Mosque, Seksyen 24.

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