INJURED AND ANGRY

MOST of them were about to fall asleep on the tour bus.

IN PAIN: Rescue workers fitting a neck brace on a man, believed to be the bus driver.

After dinner at a shopping mall near Ulu Tiram at about 10.30pm on Friday, the 26 passengers from Singaporewere headed to Cameron Highlands for a weekend getaway.

The swaying of the bus and the jolts kept some awake. Some were uneasy as they felt the driver was going too fast.

Before they could tell him to slow down, their worst fears came true.

The bus hit the back of a trailer, seriously injuring six passengers who had to be warded in hospital.

The driver was also warded with serious injuries, including broken legs and face and chest wounds.

Most of the other passengers and a male tour guide, believed to be Malaysian, suffered minor injuries and received outpatient treatment.

Amid the chaos and confusion, anger overcame some of the victims of the crash, which happened on the North-South highway near Tangkak, Johor.

Instead of helping the injured driver, who was trapped in his cabin, they scolded him, accusing him of speeding.

They wanted him to 'take responsibility' for causing the accident, Lianhe Wanbao reported.

With blood streaming from his face and groaning in pain, all he could do was take the verbal abuse in silence.

Rescue workers later freed him and other passengers who were trapped in the front of the bus.

Moments before the collision, one passenger had noticed the driver trying to overtake a lorry that was behind the trailer.

Ms Teo Ru Yin, 23, who returned to Singapore yesterday, told The New Paper on Sunday: 'I was sitting at the rear of the bus and was almost asleep when I heard a loud crash.

'When I opened my eyes, I realised I had been thrown forward onto the floor.'

Ms Teo and most of her colleagues from DKSH Technology, a marketing and distribution services provider, were injured.

She broke a tooth and bruised her limbs.

Finding her way out of the bus was difficult in the dark.

Personal belongings littered the cabin floor.

Visibly shaken

Some colleagues were visibly shaken as they waited for help.

IN A DAZE: Passengers being helped out of the wrecked bus by rescue workers. Many rested by the roadside, while the seriously injured were rushed to hospital. (Above) The bus driver had to be extricated from his seat, but the trailer driver escaped unhurt. --PICTURES: GUANGMING DAILY

Broken passenger seats, shattered glass and corn, which the trailer had been transporting, were strewn on the road.

Added Ms Teo, who has been with the company for three years: 'I don't wish to remember what happened because it's painful and sad.'

The tour group had started on a happy note when they left the company premises at Boon Leat Terrace in Pasir Panjang.

The three-day tour was organised by a colleague. The passengers included family members.

The seriously injured were taken to the Malacca General Hospital, where it is believed that a woman, 48, remains in a coma.

Some of them were transferred to Singapore's Alexandra Hospital yesterday.

One woman in her 30s fractured both legs.

As news spread among family members and colleagues of those on the bus, one of them waited with worry and concern.

Madam Faridah Ahmad, 46, learned about the accident when she got an SMS from Ms Teo yesterday morning.

'The impression I got was that the accident was a minor one,' she said.

'But when I saw news footage which showed the front of the bus smashed, and also my friend Ru Yin bleeding from the mouth, I started to worry more.'

Madam Faridah made frantic calls to the others in the group.

As the injured had been taken away in different ambulances, nobody was sure of the condition of others.

Added Madam Faridah: 'I began to think of the worst when nobody answered their handphones.

'But later, most of them returned my calls one by one. My husband said to me that I could have been one of those injured if I had not turned down the invitation to go on the trip.'

Seen swaying

The trailer driver, who was unhurt, was reported in Lianhe Wanbao as saying he had seen from his rear view mirrors that the bus was swaying.

The bus accelerated and moved into the right lane to overtake the lorry.

When the bus tried to move back into the left lane, it collided into the rear of the trailer, he said, adding that he felt a 'strong impact'.

Last evening, Madam Faridah said some colleagues had returned home.

She added: 'I hope everybody will recover. About a year ago, we lost two colleagues in a bus accident at Bukit Batok. Those painful memories are still fresh.'

---

S'PORE VICTIMS IN N-S HIGHWAY CRASHES

1

Dec 2008

Singaporean Dominic Chan crashed his bike into an overturned lorry. As the man lay dying along the road shoulder, some onlookers took photographs.

He died before the ambulance arrived.

2

Dec 2008

Singapore-based American business executive Rick Smith, 54, died on the spot when his Harley-Davidson collided with a 14-wheeler trailer near Yong Peng in Johor.

3

Dec 2008

Ten people were killed and 18 injured when the Singapore-bound bus they were in crashed into a tree.

One of them was a S'pore PR, a 26-year-old medical student from Hong Kong working at Changi General Hospital.

4

Jan 2009

S'pore PR Ng Cheong Boon, 45, was driving when a lorry suddenly swerved and hit his car.

The crash killed his wife and 14-year-old son. His two daughters, 7 and 10 and another son, 16, were injured.

5

Jan 2009

A 24-year-old S'pore biker died while journeying up to Malacca.

Mr Mohamad Idzwan Abdul Aziz reportedly lost control of his motorcycle as he was trying to overtake another vehicle.

ASHES ARE FOREVER

WHEN funeral director Victor Hoo shows you the diamonds, they are sparkling 1-carat babies, but you'll likely not want to touch them, thank you very much.

TNP PICTURE: NG TZE YONG

Instead, you'll probably admire them from afar with a morbid curiosity.

'Erm... so who's this guy?' you'll try asking.

In a Singapore that is growing in affluence - and ageing rapidly - a local funeral home, Singapore Funeral Services (SFS), is offering these perfect fusion of death and beauty, convinced they will catch on.

Cremate your loved ones - and instead of leaving the ashes in a hard-to-find niche in the temple - send it to a lab in Switzerland.

A few months later, welcome Grandpa home as a precious stone - complete with a certificate from the Gemological Institute of America listing his cut, carat, clarity and colour.

The service is provided by a Swiss-based company Algordanza, which was founded in 2003 and now operates in 20 countries.

A Chicago-based company, LifeGem, has been offering a similar service.

For what is believed to be the first time in Singapore, SFS is offering this service in partnership with Algordanza.

Cost will range between $6,999 for a 0.25-carat diamond and $33,999 for a 1-carat diamond.

The waiting period will range from three months to a year.

'Our society is now at a stage where we want the finer things in life - even until the last step,' said Mr Hoo.

But it's not about being extravagant, he explained. It's about moving with the times.

'Many people feel guilty when they have a tablet or an urn for their parents, because they're not sure the future generations will continue to visit it,' said Mr Hoo.

'If you have a ring, you can pass it down from generation to generation. Your loved one will be with you every minute, every second.'

Preserve memories

Many families these days also have members living in different countries, he pointed out. 'They may not be able to come back every year to pay their respects. Making a diamond helps them preserve the memories,' said Mr Hoo.

In a land-scarce Singapore, it also encourages cremation, 'in line with government policy'.

'People already associate diamonds with love and eternity. For a widow, for example, it can provide a lot of comfort,' said Mr Hoo.

Singaporeans, however, may need a bit more convincing.

'We should just let the dead rest in peace,' said 37-year-old manager Yvonne Wong.

Miss Pearl Chia, a 46-year-old manager, wonders what will happen if future generations run into financial difficulties.

'What if they pawn off Grandpa?' she asked.

But diamonds, however they come, retain their allure for some.

'I don't mind a diamond, real or otherwise,' gushed Stacey Kelly, a 20-year-old student. 'It will give family heirlom a new meaning.'

Mr Raymond Xiao, a 69-year-old retiree, doesn't mind being turned into a diamond.

'It is a good idea to recycle, so to speak,' he said.

'People will get used to the idea. Look at Bishan. It used to be a cemetery. Now, it's a HDB estate.'

Leaders from Singapore's two main religions were not keen on the idea.

Mr Lee Bock Guan, president of the Singapore Buddhist Lodge, said that 'there is nothing in Buddhism that forbids this'.

'But if you have the ring, people may not want to shake your hand. It may not be nice to wear it to someone's wedding,' he said. 'Worse still, what if you lose it?'

Rev Dr Daniel Koh, an ordained minister of the Methodist Church of Singapore, said in his personal capacity: 'It does not seem to gel with the Christian faith at all.

'It may be better to remember a loved one through the lessons they taught us. It is things like these, not diamonds, which last forever.'

Fellow undertakers also have their doubts.

'Singaporeans may feel uneasy about passing on the remains of their loves ones to strangers halfway across the world,' said Mr Roland Tay, 62, the director of Direct Singapore Funeral Services.

Mr Darren Tan, 31, the operations manager of a memorial services firm, worries that the diamonds may have a reverse effect, making it hard for mourners to find closure, especially in cases where the death occurred unexpectedly.

'I don't think it will be popular in an Asian society,' he said.

---

1. An average person leaves behind 2kg in ash after cremation. 500g of this is sent by air to the Swiss Alps, where the headquarters of Algordanza is located.

2. Upon arrival, the ash is marked with a serial number to prevent any mix-up.

3. The ash undergoes an analysis in the lab to determine its chemical composition.

4. Potassium and calcium, which make up 85 per cent of the ash, are extracted from the carbon using strong acids.

5. The remaining carbon is compressed into graphite under high pressure and temperature. Waste gases are generated and removed immediately.

6. A tiny diamond is added into the graphite. Crystalisation takes place around it and the diamond grows in size. The duration of the crystalisation depends on the size of the diamond desired. It can last anything from three months to a year. When the desired size is reached, the diamond introduced at the start of the process is cut off.

7. The remaining chunk of diamond is cut and polished. Engraving can be done upon request.

8. Your loved one comes home as a precious stone - accompanied by a certificate from the Gemological Institute of America listing his cut, carat, clarity and colour.

3-MAN TRYST, SEX PILLS AND 1 DEATH

A 26-YEAR-OLD Singaporean man died after taking performance-enhancing drugs during a night of casual sex with two other men.

Mr Brandon Boh Zhuang Min died 16 days after he was found unconscious in the Holland Close flat of a man he had met barely a week earlier, a coroner’s court heard yesterday.

Mr Boh, a catering executive, met German magazine publisher Rene Daniels, 45, on an Internet dating site in late March last year.

Shortly after, on the weekend of April 4, Mr Boh stayed over at Mr Daniels’ home, and the pair had sex.

Three days later, they invited another man known only as Ismail – whom Mr Daniels had also met online – to join them for sex at the Holland Close flat.

While the trio were in the bedroom, Mr Daniels took out four blue pills meant for sexual enhancement, saying he had brought them from Germany. He took two and gave the other two to Mr Boh. Both of them soon felt unwell.

Ismail, whose identity could not be established in the police investigation, left the flat some time after.

Later, Mr Daniels’ friend, Mr Ong Chee Haur, 36, found the duo lying unconscious in separate rooms. Their bodies were hot and dehydrated. He poured water into their mouths and called for an ambulance when he failed to rouse Mr Daniels.

Paramedics found both men foaming at the mouth. They had low blood-sugar levels. After glucose was administered to Mr Daniels, he came to but was still drowsy. Both men were taken to the National University Hospital.

Mr Daniels survived, but Mr Boh remained in critical condition and died on April 23 of pneumonia and swelling in the brain following multiple drug abuse.

Among the drugs found in his system were glibenclamide, used to treat diabetes, and amphetamines. When used without medical supervision, glibenclamide can cause hypoglycaemia (low blood-sugar levels), leading to brain injury.

Police officers found unopened condoms and medication in the bedrooms.

In recording a verdict of misadventure on the death of Mr Boh, State Coroner Victor Yeo said the evidence showed that the two men had knowingly taken the sex enhancement pills, which were very likely counterfeits.

Husband: She didn't see doctor to save money

Housewife dies in sleep. Husband says slimming drink made her weak

CAMERA-SHY: Youngest daughter Yock Peng holding the most recent photograph of Madam Lai, a family photograph taken last year. Her sister, Yoke Teng, said her mother had been so conscious of her weight that she did not like taking pictures.

SHE was so self-conscious about gaining 20kg a few years ago that she hardly posed for photos with her three children, aged 7 to 14.

So when a close family friend offered Madam Lai Sock Kim a weight-loss supplement to try for free, she agreed.

The side-effects appeared almost immediately.

The 35-year-old housewife, who weighed 100kg, could barely walk or eat, said relatives.

Her family said she would hallucinate often.

Though Madam Lai stopped taking the powdered supplement six months ago, the symptoms never went away.

She was often dizzy and suffered from headaches.

Her 11-year-old daughter Yoke Teng even quit school to run the household, as Madam Lai had no more strength to do housework.

GAINED WEIGHT: A less-heavy Madam Lai and as she appeared in a family photo taken last year. Two of the kids, Yoke Peng and Jin Long. TNP PICTURES: GAVIN FOO

On Saturday afternoon, Madam Lai died in her sleep in her three-room flat in Bukit Merah.

Her daughter couldn't rouse her from sleep, and called for an ambulance. Madam Lai was pronounced dead at home.

The cause of death is unknown at this point.

Madam Lai's husband, odd-job worker Lim Beng Siah, does not know the name of the weight-loss supplement.

Neither could he show us the sachets of powder, as he has handed them to the authorities, who are investigating.

All he knew was that for 25 days last November, his wife would dissolve a packet of the powdered formula into a cup of water - drinking half a cup in the morning and another half a cup at night.

Very weak

At the funeral wake at the void deck below their flat last night, Mr Lim told The New Paper in Mandarin: 'She became very weak after taking the medicine.

'I tried taking it for five days myself, and it made me so weak, I couldn't even hold a cigarette.'

However, the friend who supplied the weight-loss formula told him that the symptoms would disappear with time as their bodies get used to the supplement, Mr Lim claimed.

Mr Lim added: 'He even told me that if my wife managed to lose weight successfully, he would ask her to star in an advertisement.

'But now that this has happened, he has not even come to the funeral.'

Although the weight-loss supplement had made her so weak that she would pant after taking a few steps, Madam Lai continued to drink it every day for almost a month.

She had been so conscious of her weight, she did not like taking pictures, said Yoke Teng. She said there were no recent photos of her mother.

The most recent group picture was taken one year ago with their extended family.

Madam Lai was so weak, it was an effort to even eat her meals, said Yoke Teng and her older brother, Jin Long, 14. They have another sibling, Yoke Peng, 7.

Yoke Teng said: 'She would take a really long time to finish her meals, and she would have to eat very slowly.'

Still, Madam Lai refused to see a doctor.

Mr Lim said of his wife: 'I earn only $1,000 a month. She has always scrimped and saved, so she thought that seeing a doctor was a waste of money.

'Whenever she had any extra money, she would spend it on the children.'

Her sister-in-law, Madam Lim Lay Kheng, 40, also said that though she felt unwell, Madam Lai kept putting off her visit to the doctor because she was worried about her three children if she were to be hospitalised.

Madam Lai had suddenly ballooned from around 80kg to 100kg a few years ago, relatives at the wake told The New Paper.

According to Mr Lim, it happened after Madam Lai suffered a miscarriage four years ago but he did not want to elaborate.

All he would say was that before she started taking the medication, she was very healthy.

Her children also said that besides being obese, Madam Lai only had a skin irritation, for which she would apply cream.

However, after taking the slimming powder, Madam Lai could not even do housework.

That burden fell on Yoke Teng, who stopped going to school, partly to help out at home and partly because she didn't enjoy studying.

Yoke Teng recalled: 'My mother would sit on a stool and watch me cook in the kitchen. She would give me instructions on what to cook and how to cook it.'

She added that her mother often sat by her table in the bedroom in a daze, and sometimes suffered hallucinations.

She said that sometimes, even though they weren't talking, she would ask them whether they were talking to her. She added that it was 'frightening'.

She also recalled: 'She told me that when she closed her eyes, she would feel as though the ground was spinning.'

Madam Lai also grew fearful of sleeping, often staying up all night to chat with her son, Jin Long.

Said the student: 'Each time she came to look for me because she couldn't sleep, I was very worried about her.

'I wonder how she knew that she was going to die in her sleep.'

NSF dies in Land Rover accident

A FULL-TIME National Serviceman (NSF) died on Friday in an accident.

At about 11.30am, Second Lieutenant (2LT) Chan Wei Kit Nicholas, a Motor Transport Officer, was taking delivery of a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Land Rover which had been sent to Seletar Camp for servicing.

He was inspecting the vehicle when it rolled backwards and hit him. He was discovered pinned under the vehicle.

A recovery vehicle was activated at about noon and lifted the Land Rover off him at 12.30pm.

A medical team, comprising an SAF doctor and two medics from the Seletar Medical Centre, attempted to resuscitate 2LT Chan immediately.

He was sent to Changi General Hospital at about 12.35pm.

En route, the SAF doctor and medics continued attempts to resuscitate him. 2LT Chan was pronounced dead at 1.07pm at the hospital.

The Ministry of Defence and the SAF have extended their deepest condolences to 2LT Chan's family, and the ministry will assist them in their time of grief. It is investigating the incident.

18岁女生24楼离奇飞坠死 拉链拉下露内裤

18岁初院女生，疑从24楼飞坠，横尸组屋楼下，她的牛仔裤拉链拉下，露出白色内裤，死因疑云重重。

武吉班让环路第533座组屋，昨晚7时25分左右发生一起坠楼案。

死者是18岁的初院女生何宜欣（译音），长发披肩、肤色白皙、身段苗条，家住在附近的雅姿园公寓。

目击者希杰（25岁）说，他事发时到附近找朋友，赫然发现有人坠楼，地上有脑浆。

他形容，女生穿着蓝色女装上衣、牛仔裤和包鞋，牛仔裤拉链拉下，露出白色内裤。

24楼一名女居民说，事发后，看到一个银色手提袋放在走廊的墙边，里头有手机和笔记本，相信是女生所有，过后手提袋已被警方带走调查。

另外一名邻居说，当时矮墙上本来挂着一张毛毯和衣架，过后都被压扁。

她说，24楼是顶层，平日经常有情侣上来亲热，但她没有见过有关的女生。

据描述，女生坠楼时脸部朝下，一张粉脸摔得血肉模糊，令人不忍卒睹。

警方已将此案列为“非自然死亡”调查。

母亲认尸后掩面痛哭

初院女生的母亲，在认尸后用手帕掩面痛哭。

今早，约有10名亲友到卫生科学局殓尸房，为女生办理手续，当中包括女生的父母。

他们神情悲恸，不愿多谈。

据了解，女生是家中长女，下有妹妹。

目前还不清楚女生是为何坠楼，到底是为情所困？课业压力？还是另有内情，还须警方进一步调查，才能水落石出。

女生今天停柩在新民通道的殡仪馆，下午3时45分送往万礼火化场火化。

So hot, police dogs left in car die

TWO police dogs have died after being left inside a vehicle parked outside Nottinghamshire police headquarters on one of the hottest days of the year.

It is believed the dogs' handler was not on duty at the time and had called in to the force's headquarters at Sherwood Lodge, leaving the dogs to over-heat in the parked car, reported Reuters.

It is not known how long they were left in the car but temperatures in Nottingham on Wednesday hit 29.4 deg C.

According to UK's Met Office website, the mean summer temperature from 1971 to 2000 is 14.1 deg C, the same as 2007.

The force said the German shepherds were discovered at Sherwood Lodge headquarters in Arnold on Tuesday.

According to the Press Association, the dogs were donated to carry out police work, including tracking down criminals and providing security at major events in the county.

The case has also been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

'This is a tragic incident and we value the important work our police dogs carry out on a daily basis,' said Assistant Chief Constable Peter Davies.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it was now investigating the incident.

The Dogs Trust, UK's largest dog welfare charity, said it was 'saddened' by the news.

A spokesman said: 'While the cause of death is still to be determined, the charity would like to remind dog owners and police dog handlers that leaving your dog locked in a car can prove fatal, particularly during a heatwave.'

The spokesman added that it can take just 20minutes for a dog to die and temperatures reach over 40 deg C in some vehicles.

A vet is carrying out post-mortems to establish how the animals died.

Dehydration is likely to have been a significant factor.

The Times Online reported that temperatures are set to soar even though the past month had already been the hottest, driest and sunniest month since July 2006, according to records.

The maximum sentence for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is six months in prison and a £20,000 ($48,000) fine.

Nottinghamshire Police said the handler has not been suspended.

Pet snake strangles toddler to death

A 2.5M-LONG pet Burmese python broke out of its enclosure and strangled a 2-year-old girl in her bedroom at a central Florida home on Wednesday.

DANGEROUS PET: US authorities remove a Burmese python from the home where it killed a 2-year-old girl. PICTURES: AP

Shaiunna Hare was already dead when paramedics arrived at about 10 am, police Lieutenant Bobby Caruthers told Associated Press.

Mr Charles Jason Darnell, the snake's owner and the boyfriend of Shaiunna's mother, discovered the snake missing from its enclosure.

He went to the girl's room where he found the snake beside the girl, who had bite marks on her head, said Lt Caruthers.

Not knowing what else to do, Mr Darnell, 32, stabbed the snake until he was able to pry the child away.

An emergency call recorded a sobbing caller saying: 'The baby's dead!

'Our stupid snake got out in the middle of the night and strangled the baby.'

Mr Charles Darnell hugs girlfriend Jaren Hare, the child's mum.

Authorities did not identify the caller and removed the person's name from the recording.

'She got out of the cage last night and got into the baby's crib and strangled her to death,' the caller said.

Authorities removed the snake from the home that same afternoon after obtaining a search warrant.

The snake, which was still alive, was placed in a bag and then inside a dog crate.

Mr Darnell did not have a permit for the snake, which makes it a second-degree misdemeanour, said Ms Joy Hill, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

He has not been charged, but investigators were looking into whether there was child neglect or if any other laws were broken.

Ms Hill said the snake will be placed with someone who has a permit, pending an investigation into the girl's death.

The Humane Society Of The United States said at least 12 people have been killed in the US, including this death, by pet pythons since 1980. Of that, five were children.

Snakes and deaths

Burmese pythons are not native to Florida but they easily survive in the state and can reach a length of 8m and weigh more than 90kg.

Other than some owners freeing pythons into the wild, scientists also speculate that a number of Burmese pythons escaped in 1992 from pet shops battered by Hurricane Andrew and have been reproducing since.

'People purchase these animals when they're small. When they grow, they either can't control them or release them.'

Mr George Van Horn, owner of Reptile World Serpentarium, said the strangulation could have occurred because the snake felt threatened or because it thought the child was food.

'They are always operating on instinct,' he said.

'Even the largest person can be overpowered by a python.'

Earlier this year, in February, another wild animal kept as a pet was involved in attack, and it too had to be killed.

Ms Sandra Herold's 90kg pet chimpanzee, who once starred in TV commercials for Old Navy and Coca-Cola, was shot dead by police after a violent rampage that left her friend badly mauled.

Victim Charla Nash suffered traumatic facial injury, including the loss of her nose, upper and lower lips, eyelids and the bony structures in her mid-face, and has filed a US$50m ($70m) lawsuit against Ms Herold.

Student and her baby found in pool of blood

PARAMEDICS stumbled on the dead bodies of a newborn baby and his mother after breaking into a student hostel room in Johor, Malaysia.

At first, no one realised that the 26-year-old student was missing as it was still orientation week at the university.

But students in the Johor hostel of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) then complained to the administration officials of a foul smell coming from her room, reported Harian Metro.

Her room was locked and after unsuccessfully trying to open it, they turned the matter over to the head of the student hostel.

But on Monday, the security guards who managed to open the door were shocked at what they saw.

A near-naked body of a woman was found in a pool of blood. Not far away was her newborn baby boy.

The head of police in northern Johor, Assistant Commissioner Ruslan Hassan, said that investigations showed she was from Kelantan and was unmarried. She was estimated to have died two days earlier, on Saturday.

Said Mr Ruslan: 'We believe that the cause of death is the massive bleeding she sustained after childbirth.

'But we're still continuing with our investigations and will look into all other evidence, including not ruling out foul play, before we conclude what the cause of death is.'

He said police are still verifying her identity and have sent her body to the Sultan Aminah Hospital for a post-mortem.

Police are now urging those with information to come forward.

According to the Malay-language daily, the woman was a former fourth-year undergraduate.

Ended course

Quoting an UTM spokesman, the report said the student had ended her course at the university in January this year after failing an examination.

Spokesman Sabri Ahmad said the woman was allowed to rent the hostel room on 11May as there was a policy allowing members of the public to do so.

He said that the hostel management and the university are helping the police.

Mr Sabri declined to comment on whether a boyfriend or an ex-boyfriend was involved in the case, pending further investigations.

Thailand reports third swine flu death

Thai health authorities confirmed a third death from swine flu after a naval recruit succumbed to the disease on Monday.

The death of the 21-year-old Royal Thai Navy conscript came as the number of confirmed cases of the A(H1N1) virus hit 1,330, a health ministry statement said.

Thailand's first death from swine flu was a 40-year-old woman in Bangkok who died Friday. A 42-year-old man from Chonburi province, 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the capital, died two days later.

Thailand reported its first case of swine flu on May 12.

The virus has infected nearly 60,000 worldwide and killed more than 260, according to the World Health Organisation.

美国巨星Michael Jackson去世 享年50岁

综合媒体报道，美国歌手Michael Jackson星期四（6月25日）美西时间中午12时30分左右，怀疑在家中心脏病发，紧急送往医院，医院及警方消息人士均证实，Michael Jackson已经不治，终年50岁。

相关人员透露，洛杉矶警察部门已经对死亡原因展开调查。但现在还没有找到他是被谋杀的证据。

Michael Jackson是西方流行音乐的重要偶像。他在作词、作曲、场景制作、编曲、演唱、舞蹈、乐器演奏都有着非常卓越的成就，其音乐曲风完美地融合了黑人节奏蓝调与白人摇滚的独特乐风，在全球范围内拥有亿万歌迷。

2005年他被控猥亵儿童案获判无罪之后，从歌坛隐退，过着深居简出的生活，最近正在积极筹备复出，原订7月13日在伦敦登台，演唱会预计持续到明年3月，50场演唱会的门票，已经全部卖光。

过去两个月来，他都在洛杉矶密集练唱，不过有关他健康不佳的传闻引人关切，当时即有传言称，Michael Jackson患上皮肤癌。但演唱会筹备单位前一阵子才说他接受了彻底的检查，医生证明他健康没有问题。

美国媒体称，“Michael Jackson的死，标志着一个悲剧的结束”，自二十世纪八十年代攀上流行音乐的巅峰之后，麦克杰逊一直受连串丑闻困扰，人们不断从媒体上看到他越来越白 的皮肤、塌陷的鼻子、以及总是带着口罩的脸，无休止的整容、破产传闻、2005年的娈童案，让Michael Jackson的形象一落千丈。

凌晨突感不适 12岁女生发烧死

12岁女生凌晨突然发烧呕吐，看医生吃药后病情没好转，35个小时后离奇身亡。

女生星期天凌晨开始感到不适，身体发热且不停地吐，家人急忙带她去看医生。吃过药后，女生的烧稍微退了，但仍然很虚弱。隔天下午竟被发现气若游丝地躺在住家沙发上，送院急救不久后断气。

不幸过世的是美以美小学小六女生陈榕，生前与父母和两个哥哥住在文庆路上段第3A座。

她的父亲陈传华（51岁，电工）今早在殓尸房悲伤地说，女儿趁着学校假期，大前天（星期六）到婆婆位于三巴旺的家小住，星期天凌晨5时左右开始发烧呕吐。

“我的大哥后来带她去看医生，吃了药后，她的烧退了些，但还是全身无力。晚上近11时，我把她接回家里照顾。”

陈传华表示，家人都很担心女儿的病情，太太更是每隔几小时就查看她的病情及喂她吃药。

“太太在星期一中午上班前，再次提醒女儿要吃药。女儿当时看起来还是很累，仍说想吐，但之后勉强喝下了些粥水。”

怎料，女生的病情后来急转直下，她的13岁二哥于下午1时左右看见她晕倒在沙发上，赶紧将她送进医院，但当时已经来不及了。

“当时她的身旁还有温度计，上面显示38.9度，烧不算很高，而且她已经吃药了，不知道为什么还会发生这种事。”

妹妹不省人事哥电召救护车

妹妹不省人事，小哥哥临危不乱，镇定向邻居求助，并自行拨电召救护车救妹妹。

据女生母亲蔡桂妹（50岁，推销员）透露，事发时，家中只有女儿、今年13岁的二儿子和房客在家。

小哥哥知道妹妹生病了，很紧张她的病况，时不时就会去查看她。

“我出门前也一再叮咛他要照顾妹妹，下午一时左右，他看到妹妹躺在沙发上没有反应，以为她睡着了，便走近去查看她。怎么知道却发现她的呼吸很微弱，怎么叫也叫不醒。”

据小哥哥形容，妹妹身旁当时放着药和温度计，他有感情况不妙，连忙向左邻右舍求助，并自行电召救护车，之后还陪着妹妹到医院。

蔡桂妹说：“途中，他也拨电通知我和丈夫直接到医院会合，可惜还是救不回妹妹的命。”

医生：烧退了仍虚弱
最好送院检查
不要以为烧退了就没事，若身体还是虚弱无力的话，最好在生病24小时后送院检查。

勿洛药房高级家庭医生黄祖卫受访时说，发烧是身体发炎的征兆之一，也可能是因为体内受细菌感染或患上更严重疾病所引起。

“38.9度不算是高烧，但如果病人在吃了退烧药后还是很虚弱，家人就要特别留意了。如果病况持续24小时的话，就该立即求医。”

黄医生解释，不能单看病人有没有发烧或烧退了没有来决定病人是否已康复，因为一个体温正常的人仍可能患病，如脑膜炎或内脏发炎，若不及时诊治的话，后果严重。

“有时退烧药只是把体温降下来，没有打击到真正的病因。小孩子的抵抗能力较弱，家长得格外小心。”

黄医生表示，地中海贫血症是一种红血球数量较少的病症，人的身体则是用白血球来抵抗病菌，因此他相信12岁女生的贫血症跟这次的病逝应该没有直接的关联。

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