Tragic Accident in Ladakh, India – Further updates from Nalanda Desk

SOTTHI

27 August 2009, Thursday

1.00am

Tragic Accident in Ladakh, India – Further updates from Nalanda Desk

Dear friends,

We bring you the latest confirmed updates from India and Malaysia regarding the tragic accident involving our friends in Ladakh on Tuesday.

The remains of our three devotees will be brought back tonight on MH191, scheduled to arrive at KLIA at 6.55am. They will be accompanied by Bro.Charlie Chia. From Nalanda, Bro.Tan Ho Soon, Mr. Ee Kim Swee (President) and Bro.Aggavamsa (Secretary) will be at the airport to render assistance.

Funeral Arrangements :

1. Mdm Tan Guat Gnoh (aka Sis GG Tan)
Wake will be held starting Thursday, 27 August, 6pm, at :
Nirvana Memorial Centre [ First Floor, Parlour 15, Orchid Hall ]
No. 1, Jalan 1/116A, Off Jalan Sungai Besi,
57100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel : 03-7981 8899

Funeral is scheduled on 29th August 2009, Saturday
Cortege leaving Nirvana Memorial Centre at 10am. Last respects at 9am.

2. Mdm Ang Ee Lee (aka Sis Julie Ang)
Wake will be held starting Thursday, 27 August, 6pm, at :
Nirvana Memorial Centre [ Room 13 ]
No. 1, Jalan 1/116A, Off Jalan Sungai Besi,
57100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel : 03-7981 8899

Funeral is scheduled on 29th August 2009, Saturday

3. Mdm Lee Ah Yem (aka Mrs. Teh)
Wake will be held on Thursday, 27 August, at their residence at :
No. 39, Jalan 9/42, Off Jalan Kuching,
Taman Sejahtera, 51200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel : 03-6257 4495

Missing :

1. Mdm Jennie Cheong Swee Chun
The search area has widened for Sis Jennie with a party of 40 to 50 people. Given the swollen and rapid flowing river, the rescuers are facing formidable challenges. Let us continue to pray for Sis Jennie and the success of the rescuers in locating her.

Hospitalised:

1. Mdm Lim Bee Hong (aka Sis Reena)
Sis Reena is being warded in Leh Hospital, Ladakh. Her condition is reported to be stable. She has fractures and injuries but they are not life-threatening. Sis Reena is fully conscious and will be transferred to a hospital in Delhi tomorrow for better care. Ven. Linh Tanh, our contact person in Delhi, will be receiving her at Delhi Airport.

About 100 close friends, members and devotees turned up at Nalanda Dharma Centre for a special memorial service for the deceased, and blessings for the missing and injured. Bro.Tan Ho Soon, our advisor, led the puja, while Mr.Vijaya Samarawickrama, our senior Dharma Speaker, delivered a truly inspiring and poignant speech. Many other friends also shared their thoughts at the occasion. The entire service was conducted full of devotion, dignity and grace, remembering the deceased with gratitude and metta.

Nalanda devotees have set up an ad-hoc bereavement support committee headed by our President Mr. Ee, and coordinated by Sis Buddhini from Nalanda Office. We will render full assistance to the deceased families during the wake, funeral and beyond. Nalanda Book Café in Sri Petaling will close for 4 days from tomorrow afternoon until 31 August to serve at our friend’s wake at Nirvana Memorial Center, Sg Besi.

Further to that, Nalanda is organizing two days of Memorial Dāna at the Centre on 30th and 31st August to commemorate and transfer merits to the deceased. We invite you to come on these occasions to remember and honour the good deeds of our friends who passed away.

This tragedy has come as a great shock to our Society and Institute, as all the victims are close friends of ours. Nalanda extends our deepest condolence to the families of the three deceased. May they have the strength to face this tragic and difficult period in their lives. For the family of Sis Jennie, we pray for her safety and for your patient endurance while the search for her is continuing in Ladakh. We also pray for the speedy recovery of Sis Reena Lim and for her family to remain strong.

We will update you with daily confirmed reports. Until then, kindly pray for all of them.

Anicca vata sankhara. All component things are subject to change.


With metta,
Sis Buddhini
Assistant Secretary,
Nalanda Buddhist Society