A mother's nightmare: 'I couldn't save my only child'

During the floods which battered Kelantan last month, the housewife had failed to rescue her daughter who disappeared in the swirling waters.

In the incident on Dec 25, Nur Erny Elia Natasha Yusrisham, 11, drowned when the family car was stuck in the floods at a village in Pasir Mas.

Azian, 37, said a feeling of sadness and regret continued to tug at her heart whenever she recalled having failed to rescue her only child despite sparing no effort.

"Our daughter, my husband and I had gone out in the family car to buy some candles after four days of darkness as electricity supply had been cut off.

"However, when we were passing through a road in Kampung Banggol Chicha, Pasir Mas, the car was tilted by strong water currents, causing it to fall into a field.

"The flood water gushed into the car and in the blink of an eye, the vehicle was filled with water and we were on the verge of drowning.

"When I tried to escape through the window, my daughter was holding on to my leg but sadly, her grip become weaker.

"I was feeling weak, too, and tried to climb on to the roof of the car where my husband was already clinging on for dear life as he suffered shortness of breath being asthmatic.

"I pleaded with him to save our child but he couldn't move before Civil Defence Department personnel arrived, about 30 minutes later.

"But then, our daughter was too weak and loosened her grip. Only God knows how guilty I felt when I was not able to save my one and only child," she lamented.

Azian -- one of seven next-of-kin of those who perished during the floods in Kelantan -- was speaking to Bernama during the federal government's flood relief handout ceremony Sunday.

The contributions were given by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa, with each family receiving RM5,000.

"I am thankful to those who share our grief and remember us during these trying times when we have lost family members.

"Each one has their own heartbreaking story," Azian told reporters at the event.