TUMPAT - A student from Politeknik Kota Bharu was found dead in a car while her friend was rushed to the hospital after being exposed to carbon monoxide gas.
Fatin Ieram Bariah Muhamad Sobri, 20, a Diploma in Business Studies student and her friend Wan Muhamad Haris Aiman Muhamad, 20, were discovered by workers at a petrol station in Kota Bharu after noticing the car parked there for several hours.
Fatin's mother, Rohana Ismail, 41, received a phone call about the incident at 10.45pm and immediately informed her husband.
According to Rohana, her daughter was accompanied by Wan Muhamad Haris Aiman, who had been a friend since school and was also studying at the polytechnic.
"I was informed that they were on their way to Wan Muhamad Haris Aiman's sister's shop in the town to wrap up goods for her online sales," she said when met at her home in Kampung Kajang Sebidang here today.
Rohana said that Fatin lived in a rented house near the polytechnic and would drive back home every Thursday.
She shared that she last met her daughter at 6.45am on Sunday when she was about to leave for the polytechnic.
"She greeted, hugged and kissed me. That was a common thing she did every time she was about to go out.
"The last time we chatted through the WhatsApp group was at 6.17pm on the same day about the theme color of the clothes for next year's Eid, and she agreed with the brick red color," she added.
Rohana also said that her daughter showed no signs of change throughout their meeting at their residence and exhibited her usual cheerfulness.
She further clarified that as the eldest child, Fatin was a caring sister to her siblings and easy-going and enjoyed keeping the house tidy.
"As a family, we did not expect her to 'leave' in the blink of an eye, and there were no signs," she said.
The remains were buried at the Kampung Kajang Sebidang Cemetery around 2pm.
Meanwhile, Kota Bharu district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Rosdi Daud said the police received a report about the incident at 10.17pm.
According to him, an examination at the scene found that both victims, aged 20, were unconscious in a Perodua Myvi car.
"The female victim found dead was sent to the Forensic Unit, Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, Kota Bharu for a post-mortem.
"The case is classified as sudden, with no criminal elements on the victims, and it is confirmed that they were exposed to carbon monoxide," he said.
He added that the police also reminded the public not to speculate and to respect the privacy of the victim's family.