JOHOR BARU: K. Muniandy had gone to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital yesterday with a plan.
He wanted to wish his daughter, M. Kaliama, a happy 23rd birthday and to cheer her up as she had been warded for four days after suffering from convulsions.
Instead, Muniandy could only watch in horror as the Intensive Care Unit his daughter was in, went up in flames.
She and five others died in the tragedy.
"I came to wish her a happy birthday. All I got to say to her was goodbye," wept Muniandy, when met at his home at the low-cost-flats in Jalan Pulai Harmoni 1 in Taman Kangkar Pulai, today.
An air of sadness enveloped the ground floor of the four-storey flats as the casket carrying Kaliama was brought home for last rites preparations and prayers.
Muniandy had reclaimed his daughter's remains around 10pm last night from the hospital morgue.
Kaliama's mother S. Muniamah, 43, wept uncontrollably as her daughter's casket left their home around 2pm for the Kebun Teh crematorium.
Meanwhile, Muniandy said he is at a loss on how to break the news to his youngest son, Harish, who is eight.
"He is close to his sister as she looked after him most of the time at home.
"He still doesn't know his sister is no longer with us. He thinks she's sleeping."