Doc: Vest wouldn't have saved Noramfaizul
Published: Sep 4, 2011 2:07 PM | Updated: Sep 5, 2011 12:11 AM
A bullet-proof vest would not have guaranteed the safety of slain BernamaTV cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd Nor as the bullet fired was of a very high calibre, said Dr Alwi Abdul Rahman.
A bullet-proof vest would not have guaranteed the safety of slain BernamaTV cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd Nor as the bullet fired was of a very high calibre, said Dr Alwi Abdul Rahman.
Dr Alwi, who was the head of the medical team accompanying the Putera 1Malaysia Club's humanitarian mission to war-torn and famine-stricken Somalia, said not only was the bullet of very high calibre, it also damaged two important organs in the victim - the heart and lungs.
"Even if he had worn a bullet-proof vest, the bullet would still have pierced through. Furthermore, the bullet fired hit a grey area... entered through the armpit and exited the shoulder.
“After being hit, he became unconscious and never recovered consciousness," he told reporters when met after returning from Somalia at the Royal Malaysian Air Force's (RMAF) Subang air base near PJ today.
Dr Alwi was part of the 55-member strong mission which included Noramfaizul.
Noramfaizul, 39, died after being hit by a stray bullet while covering the mission in Mogadishu on Friday.
Dr Alwi said various efforts were taken to save Noramfaizul with assistance also provided by an Australian paramedic team which was staying at the same hotel as the cameraman.
He said he arrived at the hotel about three minutes after being alerted of the shooting and took over from the paramedics in treating Noramfaizul who was already in a critical state.
"We attempted cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and did whatever we could, but the bullet had pierced through his heart and lungs. We also received very good cooperation from the Australian paramedics," he said, adding that Noramfaizul showed no response and was motionless during the attempt to revive him.
"He was unconscious and had lost a lot of blood. We were ready to do a blood transfusion if necessary as we already had information on the blood type of members of the mission. Emergency equipment was also adequate but we were just unable to save him," he said in a choked voice.
As he was very close to Noramfaizul having been together on several humanitarian missions organised by the club prior to this, Dr Alwi said the attempt to save his friend was a very poignant situation for him.
Relieved at safe return
Meanwhile BernamaTV journalist Khairulanuar Yahaya's return from a humanitarian mission in Mogadishu was very much awaited by his mother Zainab Hussin.
Zainab, 70, said she collapsed twice and cried incessantly since yesterday after hearing about death of her son's colleague Noramfaizul during the mission.
Although Khairul had telephoned his father to inform him that he was safe immediately after the shooting incident involving Noramfaizul, she only wanted her son home safely.
For her, although it was only a day's wait for her son's return, it was still a long wait for her and her family.
"This is a return which is very much awaited," she told Bernama after witnessing the return of the humanitarian mission team from Somalia, including her son, at the Royal Malaysian Air Force's (RMAF) Subang air base today.
Astro Awani journalist Tan Su Lin's mother Saw Guat Hwa said she was relieved to know that Tan, who was seated right in front of Noramfaizul in the 4WD he was shot, had miraculously escaped unhurt.
"She was a very brave girl and had managed to maintain her composure when she called home. I am thankful to God. It was a relief to hear her voice after the incident," she said.
Journalist party recounts events
Tan said she was in the 4WD with the late Noramfaizul on the way to the media centre to transmit her stories after distribution of aid at a camp was completed.
"It was a short journey, we were chit-chatting, joking and having a light moment. We were supposed to have a meeting with the Somalian president later at night.
"However, the five-minute journey was marred by a loud sound before the vehicle we were in stopped. Then I saw locals running towards us and asking us as to what had happened. We checked one another. Everything was okay.
"When I turned back, I saw Aji (TV3 cameraman Aji Saregar Mazlan) holding his hand. At first, I thought he was only joking as he was fond of cracking jokes.
"I became aware that the situation was serious when I saw him in pain with blood on his hand. The next person I saw was Noramfaizul. His head was on Aji's shoulder. I saw a bullet hole on the window on the right," she said.
Meanwhile, Aji said he was afraid and panicked upon seeing Noramfaizul, who was hurt, slumped against his shoulder.
"I held him and urged him to hang on as his breathing was congested before we reached the hotel. Thank God, the facility was adequate and a doctor was on hand to help him when we arrived there, before Abdul Azeez Rahim (the mission leader) and Dr Alwi arrived and took over.
Aji, who sustained an injury on the arm, was taken to another room for treatment to avoid infection to his injury, which was caused by shrapnel from the shooting.
‘A happy volunteer’
Meanwhile, RTM cameraman S Moorthy, 39, who also took part in the mission said Noramfaizul was an experienced cameraman and was generous in his advice and views when carrying out the mission.
"In Somalia, he was always advising fellow journalists to be strong and patient when facing difficult situations. Despite being tired with the tight schedule, nevertheless, the humanitarian mission must be continued. That was his advice to us," he said.
Moorthy said Noramfaizul was among the happiest volunteers when covering the mission in Somalia.
"I was in a 4WD in front of his when two shots were fired. We thought the shots went elsewhere, but when all the vehicles had stopped, we realised that he had been hit.
"At that time, we panicked and did not know how to save him, or to save our own selves," he said, adding that Noramfaizul had asked him to take a picture of the cameraman before boarding his (Noramfaizul's) 4WD.
"I did not expect that to be his last instruction to me, but now his photograph is the main focus of the world," he said.
Meanwhile, blogger Bani Amin Ahmad Zabidi (Jinggo) who also went on the mission, said he and Noramfaizul had managed to spend some light moments and had joked that this could be their last trip to Somalia.
"We managed to visit the beach and he (Noramfaizul) had requested that I take his picture at the beach five hours before the incident. I willingly obliged but it turned out to be the last picture I took of him," he said.
Jinggo added that he and other journalists, who stayed in a different hotel nearby, had rushed to the scene when they heard about the shooting, but it was already too late to save Noramfaizul.
- Bernama
Dr Alwi, who was the head of the medical team accompanying the Putera 1Malaysia Club's humanitarian mission to war-torn and famine-stricken Somalia, said not only was the bullet of very high calibre, it also damaged two important organs in the victim - the heart and lungs.
"Even if he had worn a bullet-proof vest, the bullet would still have pierced through. Furthermore, the bullet fired hit a grey area... entered through the armpit and exited the shoulder.
“After being hit, he became unconscious and never recovered consciousness," he told reporters when met after returning from Somalia at the Royal Malaysian Air Force's (RMAF) Subang air base near PJ today.
Dr Alwi was part of the 55-member strong mission which included Noramfaizul.
Noramfaizul, 39, died after being hit by a stray bullet while covering the mission in Mogadishu on Friday.
Dr Alwi said various efforts were taken to save Noramfaizul with assistance also provided by an Australian paramedic team which was staying at the same hotel as the cameraman.
He said he arrived at the hotel about three minutes after being alerted of the shooting and took over from the paramedics in treating Noramfaizul who was already in a critical state.
"We attempted cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and did whatever we could, but the bullet had pierced through his heart and lungs. We also received very good cooperation from the Australian paramedics," he said, adding that Noramfaizul showed no response and was motionless during the attempt to revive him.
"He was unconscious and had lost a lot of blood. We were ready to do a blood transfusion if necessary as we already had information on the blood type of members of the mission. Emergency equipment was also adequate but we were just unable to save him," he said in a choked voice.
As he was very close to Noramfaizul having been together on several humanitarian missions organised by the club prior to this, Dr Alwi said the attempt to save his friend was a very poignant situation for him.
Relieved at safe return
Meanwhile BernamaTV journalist Khairulanuar Yahaya's return from a humanitarian mission in Mogadishu was very much awaited by his mother Zainab Hussin.
Zainab, 70, said she collapsed twice and cried incessantly since yesterday after hearing about death of her son's colleague Noramfaizul during the mission.
Although Khairul had telephoned his father to inform him that he was safe immediately after the shooting incident involving Noramfaizul, she only wanted her son home safely.
For her, although it was only a day's wait for her son's return, it was still a long wait for her and her family.
"This is a return which is very much awaited," she told Bernama after witnessing the return of the humanitarian mission team from Somalia, including her son, at the Royal Malaysian Air Force's (RMAF) Subang air base today.
Astro Awani journalist Tan Su Lin's mother Saw Guat Hwa said she was relieved to know that Tan, who was seated right in front of Noramfaizul in the 4WD he was shot, had miraculously escaped unhurt.
"She was a very brave girl and had managed to maintain her composure when she called home. I am thankful to God. It was a relief to hear her voice after the incident," she said.
Journalist party recounts events
Tan said she was in the 4WD with the late Noramfaizul on the way to the media centre to transmit her stories after distribution of aid at a camp was completed.
"It was a short journey, we were chit-chatting, joking and having a light moment. We were supposed to have a meeting with the Somalian president later at night.
"However, the five-minute journey was marred by a loud sound before the vehicle we were in stopped. Then I saw locals running towards us and asking us as to what had happened. We checked one another. Everything was okay.
"When I turned back, I saw Aji (TV3 cameraman Aji Saregar Mazlan) holding his hand. At first, I thought he was only joking as he was fond of cracking jokes.
"I became aware that the situation was serious when I saw him in pain with blood on his hand. The next person I saw was Noramfaizul. His head was on Aji's shoulder. I saw a bullet hole on the window on the right," she said.
Meanwhile, Aji said he was afraid and panicked upon seeing Noramfaizul, who was hurt, slumped against his shoulder.
"I held him and urged him to hang on as his breathing was congested before we reached the hotel. Thank God, the facility was adequate and a doctor was on hand to help him when we arrived there, before Abdul Azeez Rahim (the mission leader) and Dr Alwi arrived and took over.
Aji, who sustained an injury on the arm, was taken to another room for treatment to avoid infection to his injury, which was caused by shrapnel from the shooting.
‘A happy volunteer’
Meanwhile, RTM cameraman S Moorthy, 39, who also took part in the mission said Noramfaizul was an experienced cameraman and was generous in his advice and views when carrying out the mission.
"In Somalia, he was always advising fellow journalists to be strong and patient when facing difficult situations. Despite being tired with the tight schedule, nevertheless, the humanitarian mission must be continued. That was his advice to us," he said.
Moorthy said Noramfaizul was among the happiest volunteers when covering the mission in Somalia.
"I was in a 4WD in front of his when two shots were fired. We thought the shots went elsewhere, but when all the vehicles had stopped, we realised that he had been hit.
"At that time, we panicked and did not know how to save him, or to save our own selves," he said, adding that Noramfaizul had asked him to take a picture of the cameraman before boarding his (Noramfaizul's) 4WD.
"I did not expect that to be his last instruction to me, but now his photograph is the main focus of the world," he said.
Meanwhile, blogger Bani Amin Ahmad Zabidi (Jinggo) who also went on the mission, said he and Noramfaizul had managed to spend some light moments and had joked that this could be their last trip to Somalia.
"We managed to visit the beach and he (Noramfaizul) had requested that I take his picture at the beach five hours before the incident. I willingly obliged but it turned out to be the last picture I took of him," he said.
Jinggo added that he and other journalists, who stayed in a different hotel nearby, had rushed to the scene when they heard about the shooting, but it was already too late to save Noramfaizul.
- Bernama
View Comments0