Mariana (right) and her daughter at the MRC PPS.
MIRI (Jan 30): A mother’s quick decision to prioritise her family’s safety in the face of danger may have spared her life and that of her children as a tragic landslide claimed five lives in Kampung Lereng Bukit here on Wednesday.
Mariana Abdul Rani, 61, described how, in the midst of a terrifying natural disaster, she evacuated her home on Monday, just days before the tragic incident, grabbing only essential documents and a few belongings before fleeing with her children.
“To me our life is our priority, so we only brought with us what was important like our IC and birth certificate, and a few pairs of clothes,” she said recalling the incident.
The initial warning came when a loud cracking sound echoed in her backyard, followed by the sight of a falling banana tree.
However, the gravity of the situation became clear when a neighbor called to inform her that a large mango tree had been uprooted due to a landslide.
With safety in mind, Mariana and her children quickly evacuated their home.
“When I went out to look I saw a banana tree falling, so I just said to myself, oh just a banana tree.
“But then one of my neighbours called and informed me that a big mango tree had fallen due to a landslide. Then we saw others running to safety.
“I immediately informed my two children and we grabbed what we could and evacuated our house immediately,” she said, recalling the initial landslide on Monday.
She was speaking when met at the Malaysia Red Crescent (MRC) temporary evacuation centre (PPS) here today.
She expressed relief that her house had remained unharmed but feared the safety of returning.
“Alhamdulillah, so far our house is not affected by the landslide and is still intact.
“If the place is not safe for us anymore, I hope the government will help us relocate. I’m a single mother, things like this don’t come easy to me.
“Rebuilding a new home is almost impossible for us now. There’s so many things involved and also costs we have to think about,” she lamented.
Mariana and her daughter are temporarily sheltering at the MRC PPS while her son is helping out at the village’s surau.
The devastating landslide, which occurred in the early hours of Chinese New Year, tragically claimed the lives of 41-year-old Sazarena Arabi, her three children — Irsyad Syairah (16), Nur Rania Syafiqah (11), and Nur Raisya Syahirah (8) — and their grandmother Fatimah Dawi (71).
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