Strong winds blow toddler and cradle away
This Hari Raya is a bleak period for one Sabah family. Their house is damaged and they no longer have a roof over their heads.
But mother Nurhaibah Nasib, 22 remains grateful — because she came so close to losing 18-month old daughter Nurhasyikin Jainuddin.
When the winds blew in Kampung Dunggang, Tuaran, on Friday (July 3) night, they literally carried the child away.
At about midnight, the girl was fast asleep in a makeshift sarong hammock tied to a wooden roof beam in the house .
A sudden gust of wind roared through the house, blowing off the roof and the wooden beams — along with Nurhasyikin in the sarong.
Madam Nurhaibah told The Star newspaper:
“I just felt so helpless when I could not hold on to the sarong.
"In that instant, I thought I had lost my daughter forever.”
She, her 23-year-old husband Jainuddin Hasim, and cousin frantically searched for the toddler. They also called their neighbours for help.
Almost half-hour later, villagers found the crying girl in a muddy paddy field.
Her right thigh bone was fractured and she had bruised arms.
Tuaran district officer Abdul Mohd Ibnu Abdul Kadir Baba said the child was rushed to hospital for treatment. Her condition is now stable.
Madam Nurhaibah said:
“She cries a lot because of the pain and I cannot cradle her but at least, she is safe and alive. I thank God for that."
While their house is unlikely to be repaired in time for the Hari Raya celebration, at least "my family is safe".
Sources: Star Online, Borneo Post
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