Sole survivor of gas poisoning tragedy shares details of the day she lost sister and two friends
The 16th of September 2020 will forever be a painful memory for Nor Aqilah Mohd Safwan.
On that day, the 22-year-old Malaysian’s twin sister and their two best friends died from carbon monoxide poisoning while in a vehicle at a petrol station in Samagagah, Penang, during an outing.
The only survivor of the incident, Ms Aqilah spent six days unconscious in the intensive care unit. When she opened her eyes, she was told by her parents the painful truth about her sister’s and friends’ deaths.
One friend died at the scene while the other died enroute to hospital.
Ms Aqilah’s twin, Nor Adilah, died in the ICU on the same day.
More than a year later, Ms Aqilah has shared the details about that fateful day through a series of TikTok videos.
@qillmyname Reply to @jue1110 ♬ Kamu Dalam Kenangan - LeeSG
@qillmyname Reply to @kamalakasyah ♬ Cinta Sampai Mati - Raffa Affar
The four of them stopped at the petrol station, located along the Lebuh Raya Utara Selatan expressway, for a rest stop around 8.30pm. They were on the way home to Kedah after holidaying at Pulau Jerejak in Penang.
When they reached the petrol station, her sister said she had a headache and vomited. She remained in their car while the rest went to get refreshments.
The four of them later ate and drank in the car, during which time, Ms Aqilah also began experiencing a headache. She put her food down and leaned back into her seat.
When she opened her eyes, she was already at the hospital.
According to doctors, her sister and their two friends died from carbon monoxide poisoning, which led to multiple organ failures. Ms Aqilah said no one sensed anything at the time because the gas didn’t have a smell.
She later learnt from the police after investigations that their Honda Odyssey vehicle had a leak at the exhaust pipe.
Ms Aqilah also described a dream she had of her sister while she was in a coma. She said her sister had told her she had fainted on an island.
The incident drew much media attention at the time, and many netizens commenting on Ms Aqilah’s videos gave their condolences and offered encouraging words.
One video, a photo montage of the four women together, has garnered some 1.7 million views.
@qillmyname Just to remember ‘)
♬ best buddies x traitor - ejaeja
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