Hawker, 69, dies suddenly while holidaying with wife
A family holiday to Xinjiang turned tragic after a 69-year-old hawker collapsed and died just moments before boarding a bus.
Mr Chia Tian Ci, a familiar face at Block 826 Tampines Street 82 where he ran Ah Hua’s Kitchen Econ Bee Hoon for almost 35 years, was on holiday with his wife and friends.
He leaves behind two children who have since taken over the family business.
The incident happened on Sept 11 around 6.30pm local time, as the group was preparing to leave Sayram Lake in Xinjiang, China.
Speaking from her husband's wake on Sept 21, Mdm Tan Choo Hua, 64, recounted the harrowing experience.
"I heard someone shouting that my husband had fallen. He was just two steps away from boarding the bus," she shared.
"I rushed over and saw him clutching his face, with blood flowing from his nose and mouth. I tried to rouse him, but he was unresponsive," she said, her voice heavy with grief.
Despite immediate attempts by onlookers to help and the eventual arrival of paramedics, Mr Chia was pronounced dead at the hospital around 9pm. The remote location of the tourist spot meant a significant delay in getting Mr Chia medical attention.
Mdm Tan shared that the couple had been inspired to take the trip after listening to the popular song 可可托海的牧羊人 (Shepherd of Koktokay).
The song tells the story of a heartbroken man wandering the vast plains of Xinjiang.
The couple, along with eight friends, joined a larger tour group of 87 that departed Singapore on Sept 6 and was scheduled to return on Sept 17.
Their son, Mr Chia Jie Long, 29, told Shin Min Daily News that he booked a flight to Nanjing as soon as he received the news. From there, he took a connecting flight to Urumqi and then endured a five-hour car ride to Bole, where he began the process of repatriating his father's body.
While some suggested cremating his father in China and bringing back his ashes, Mr Chia was determined to bring his father home.
As his father was a Singapore Permanent Resident originally from Malaysia, the paperwork was more complicated. Coupled with the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday and weekend, it took several days to transport his father's body from Urumqi to Beijing, and then back to Singapore.
"I'm very grateful to the relevant authorities in China, as well as the Singaporean and Malaysian embassies for their assistance. After ensuring all the documents were in order, I was finally able to bring my father's body home," he said.
Mr Chia's body arrived in Singapore on Sept 20 and his funeral will be held on Sept 25.
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