KOTA KINABALU: A hostel chief warden told the Coroner’s Court that he chose not to place 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir in the school’s sick bay after finding her unconscious, as he feared it would traumatise the other students staying there.
He said the sick bay had been converted into the head girl’s room earlier this year, which was occupied by three senior students and a Form One student who was allowed to stay there as she was recovering from a leg injury.
The sick bay is only a few steps away from where Zara was found unconscious, but Azhari said they instead carried her about 20m away to a flat, sheltered area.
Eighth witness Azhari Abd Sagap, 31, said he was in his quarters behind the girls’ hostel when he received a call from security guard Linah at about 3.04am on July 16.
The guard alerted him to an emergency involving Zara.
He said he received the second call at around 3.13am, but he had already arrived at the Asrama Puteri.
He saw the Form One student lying across the hostel drain, unconscious.
"At first, I did not notice any major injuries, only a cut on her ankle.
"She looked like she was breathing heavily, as if snoring," said Azhari, who is also an Arabic teacher and the head warden.
He said several students, along with security guard Linah Mansoding @ Jaliha, 65, who is also the sixth witness in the inquest, were already at the scene.
He instructed them to help move Zara to a flat, sheltered spot on the cement walkway near the warden’s house.
"My initial thought was to get her to hospital quickly. I asked the students to lay down a sarong before placing her there carefully.
"I did not put her in the sick bay room because there were other students inside, and I did not want them to be traumatised by the sight," he testified.
Azhari explained that he even considered sending Zara to hospital in his own car but decided to call the ambulance after noticing the injuries.
"I instructed the girls to carry Zara from the drain as I did not initially notice any injuries. When I saw them struggling, I decided to help," he said.
He was then asked to use a mannequin to demonstrate how he carried Zara, placing one arm under her back and the other at her thigh.
Two female students supported her head and legs.
It was only then he noticed blood at the edge of the drain where Zara was lying down and her broken leg.
"After seeing the injury, I told the students not to touch her leg," he said.
Azhari said he called the emergency hotline at 3.17am.
He contacted senior teachers and tried reaching Zara’s parents but received no answer.
A second call to the hotline was made at 3.47am, before the ambulance arrived and took Zara to Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The hospital is some 40km away from the school in Papar.
The inquest is being held to determine the circumstances surrounding Zara’s death.
Her death occurred on July 16 after she allegedly fell from a height at her boarding school.
Proceedings continue.
