Three dead in hornet attack

Found in Translation logo 2014

A SWARM of deadly hornets killed three family members who were trying to find nipah palm leaves at Kampung Tanjung Bundong in Kota Samarahan, reported Berita Harian.

Sharifah Norhasyiawati Wan Aribi, 24, her daughter Nor Sharian Sharizan, six, and her sister-in-law, Sharifah Esah Ebon, 42, died after receiving treatment at the ICU unit at the Sarawak General Hospital.

Sharian and Esah, who were stung more than 40 times and 35 times respectively, died on Saturday.

Sharifah, who was stung about 50 times, died at 5am on Sunday.

Another three victims were Sha­rifah’s husband Sharizan Ebon, 32, and the couple’s children Khusairi, two, and Ismail Jemali, nine, who were stung 10 to 15 times. All three were also being treated at the Sarawak General Hospital.

Sharian and Sharifah were buried at the Muslim Tanjung Bun­dong cemetery on Sunday night.

The whole family had been walking along a river at a mangrove in search of nipah palm leaves to make tapai (fermented rice cake).

Esah’s father, Ebon Asin, 63, only noticed that something had gone wrong when he saw a hornet’s nest the size of a soccer ball fall to the ground after one of the victims pulled a nipah leaf. The bees started to attack after that.

> A local woman is believed to be behind the online “love scam” syndicate that targeted women and cheated them out of millions of ringgit, reported Kosmo!.

Five Nigerians said to be linked to the syndicate were held recently.

The authorities arrested two Nigerian men during the first raid on Friday, while the other three men were nabbed the next day.

Both raids were carried out at a condominium believed to be used by the group as an operation centre.

Sungai Buloh OCPD Supt Junaidi Bujang said that all six suspects were in their 30s and directly involved in the syndicate in the last six months.

“The syndicate looks out for lonely victims within or outside of the country via Facebook.

“After getting to know the victims, who are mostly women, they will start to send romantic messages to them,” he said.

Supt Junaidi said among the victims who had been duped by the syndicate was a bank manager, who lost RM223,000.

?  Found in Translation is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.