KL sinkhole: ‘What will remain is the tattoo of my mother’s name on my left arm’

KUALA LUMPUR: “I’m sad because my mother could not see the tattoo (her name) I had on my left hand, tattooed especially for her,” was the expression of the son of the victim of the Jalan Masjid India sinkhole incident.

M. Suria, 25, who remains inconsolable told Bernama that the tattoo of his mother’s name Vijayalaksmi was imprinted on his left arm during his recent vacation in Thailand.

“Mother is everything to me, no matter what I do everything for her…that’s why when I count the tattoos on this hand, her name is the first that comes to my mind.

“But I didn’t expect this to happen… I didn’t have time to show how much I loved my mother,” he said.

Suria said the last time he spoke to Vijayalaksmi was early in the morning on the day of the incident.

“I contacted her at 1.30am on the day of the incident and told her that I had tattooed her name….mother was very happy and I could feel that happiness in her voice.

“The morning before my mother fell, she had called me but my phone ran out of battery and could not speak to her,” he said.

He added that his brother-in-law was the one who had informed him about the incident and the fate of his mother on Friday (Aug 23).

Immediately after being informed about the mishap, Suria rushed to Kuala Lumpur from Thailand via Bukit Kayu Hitam in Kedah.

“I did not hesitate to book an ehailing transportation from Changlun, Kedah to Kuala Lumpur although it cost RM600,” he said.

According to Suria, he and his family hope his mother’s body can be found quickly as they intend to take her remains back to their hometown in India and bury her in Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, India.

“It has been five days and we have come to a point to accept her fate,” he said.

A check by Bernama revealed that Suria and his father together with family members were always present at the location of the incident to keep track of the latest information about the search and rescue operation.

On Friday (Aug 23) a 48-year-old Indian national identified as Vijayalaksmi, was walking along the pavement in Jalan Masjid India near the Malayan Mansion when a part of it caved in, causing her to fall into an eight-metre sinkhole and remains missing.

The victim who arrived in Malaysia with her family members as tourists, was said to be heading to a temple in the area to have breakfast, when the incident happened.- Bernama