Sungai petani: V. Vennpani, the 10-year-old girl who perished when the boat she was travelling in capsized during a family holiday in Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu, on Saturday, was an only child, and her birth had long been awaited.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, her grandmother, T. Panjawarnam, 68, shared that her granddaughter was excited about the trip with her parents and three other family members. They had departed for Terengganu on Friday morning. Panjawarnam expressed her shock and grief, stating, "I was shocked and nearly fainted when I was informed she had died in the incident. It's very difficult to accept because I had cared for her since birth. We waited so long for her arrival and never imagined that she would be taken from us so suddenly."

It is understood that Vennpani's remains arrived at her family home in Sungai Petani Heights at about 1 am today and were taken to the cremation site in Kampung Serukam around 12.30 pm. More than 300 relatives and friends were present to pay their last respects to the deceased before the cremation.

In the 10.30 pm incident on Saturday, Vennpani, and two other relatives, S. Arumugam, 40, and his daughter A. Sarrvihka, 3, were killed. Two other passengers were injured, including one critically, while 10 more survived. All 15 boat passengers, aged between 3 and 40, were related, and they were returning from dinner on Pulau Perhentian Kecil to Pulau Perhentian Besar when a sudden large wave struck, causing their boat to capsize.