SEPANG: The close bond shared by three cousins who grew up together ended in tragedy when they died after they were believed to have been struck by lightning in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi.
Their uncle, Haris Salleh Kurais, 42, said the three had been inseparable since growing up in their hometown in Semporna, Sabah, before settling and working here.
He said his nephews, Mohd Sahrif Marusin, 26, and Mohamad Ahzam Marusin, 16, were brothers, while Mohammad Safwan Aksan, 18, was their cousin.
“I was watching television about 4.30pm when I received a call saying my nephews had been electrocuted. Then someone else said they had been struck by lightning.
“I got ready and rushed to the hospital. I was shocked. I never imagined something like this could happen,” he said when met at Sultan Idris Shah Hospital in Serdang.
Haris said the three had always been close and respected him as their uncle. He last met them about two days ago when the family gathered.
“They were very close. If one went somewhere, the other two would follow. For example, if one was repairing a motorcycle, the other two would join him because they enjoyed repairing other people’s motorcycles.
“They were also repairing a car belonging to one of them when the incident happened. I never imagined this could happen,” he said.
Haris said family members in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, including the victims’ parents in their hometown, had been informed of the incident.
He said arrangements to transport the bodies back to Sabah would be made as soon as possible after the police completed the post-mortems.
Earlier, it was reported that three men,including two teenagers aged 16 and 18, died after they were believed to have been struck by lightning while taking shelter in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi.
Sepang police chief Assistant Commissioner Norhizam Bahaman said the incident occurred at 3.34pm.
He said Sahrif worked as an aircraft cleaner at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), while his two younger cousins were unemployed.
Several videos showing the three bodies covered with batik cloth and lying beneath a tree had earlier gone viral on social media.
The incident gained attention after residents and passing motorists uploaded photographs and videos of the scene.