A 12-year-old Geylang Methodist Secondary School student suffered a tragic death on Monday (24 April) after a goal post fell on him while he was playing football. The victim, Muhammad Hambali Sumathi, was rushed to the KK Women's and Children's Hospital with head injuries and was subsequently pronounced dead.
Currently, the case is being investigated as an unnatural death and the school playground has been closed to facilitate the probe.
What all we know till now?
1. Muhammad Hambali Sumathi was the younger brother of local singer Sarah Aqilah. Sarah, who won the Mediacorp's Suria reality singing competition Anugerah in 2009, said that death of her brother is a great loss to her and her family, reported Channel News Asia.
"He was a good kid, quiet but smiley and he was very respectful towards his elders. He was helpful too, as a friend and a younger brother," Sarah told Channel NewsAsia on Monday night.
2. Muhammad used to love playing football and was a member of Geylang Methodist School (Secondary)'s football club, reported Straits Times.
3. The young football enthusiast was playing football with his classmates on Monday morning, during a physical education lesson, when the tragedy struck.
4. According to reports, he grabbed the goal post while playing and immediately the structure tipped over and hit his head.
"I think his hand slipped, he fell, and then the goalpost hit his head. When it fell on him, his leg got stuck in the net. I was right beside him," said a classmate, according to Straits Times.
5. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted about the incident at around 9.35am and it immediately dispatched an ambulance. Muhammad was given CPR en route to the hospital.
6. "The doctors tried to save him... for more than an hour. But they couldn't...They told me, 'I am very sorry'," said the victim's 54-year-old father, Sumathi Abdul Hamid.
