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| Jan 7, 2009 | |
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BANGKOK FIRE
Bodies flown home
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| Wakes for Leslie Yeo and Lu Weiye from today; two injured S'poreans in Bangkok hospital | |
| By Carolyn Quek | |
| THE bodies of air traffic controller Leslie Yeo, 40, and student Lu Weiye, 26, were flown home from Bangkok late last night, accompanied by their family members.
The wakes for the two men, who died in a pub fire in Thailand on New Year's Day, will be held at their homes in Punggol and Bedok from today. Before leaving Bangkok, the men's coffins were placed next to each other at the Police General Hospital mortuary, fronted by porcelain urns holding joss sticks. Yesterday at about 3pm, prior to leaving Thailand, 17 relatives and friends of Mr Yeo and Mr Lu turned up at the morgue to take their bodies home. Mr Yeo's family and friends were the first group to be led into the open-air area of the mortuary. There, one of the doctors opened a white body bag and Mr Yeo's three Thai female friends burst into tears. Undergraduate Lu Weiye's family members were then taken to see his body, dressed in a black jacket and blue jeans. The six departed quickly with the women crying as they emerged from the room. Mortuary staff transferred the bodies into the coffins and two monks spent a few minutes chanting before the coffins while grieving friends and relatives held joss sticks and prayed. The groups then made their way to the site of the Santika Pub to say prayers for the two men. Although the bodies of all three Singaporean men killed in the Santika blaze are now home, two injured Singaporeans remain in Bangkok hospitals. Mr Donald Loh, 38, and his girlfriend Ms Adeline Tok, 33, both suffered burns in the fire, although hers are much more serious. Ms Tok's family is in a dilemma about what to do next, given the severity of her condition. She suffered burns to over 50 per cent of her body. According to her family, Ms Tok bought travel insurance that allows her up to $500,000 worth of assistance should she incur medical expenses while on her trip. This amount is on top of the reimbursement of travel costs and accommodation should a doctor advise that a family member needs to be by her side. The insurance will also cover Ms Tok's flight home. However, the terms state that once she returns to Singapore, Ms Tok will be covered only for $25,000 worth of medical expenses, meant for follow-up care. She will also be compensated $100 for every complete day she spends in hospital. 'We are considering what to do next,' said her boyfriend Mr Loh. 'The next course of action has not been decided yet. We just want the best medical treatment within our financial abilities for myself and Adeline.' It has been almost a week since 64 revellers were killed and more than 229 injured when a fire raced through popular night spot, the Santika Club, shortly after midnight on New Year's Day. | |
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