Mahsuri and Srinisha had been enjoying their school holidays in Singapore when they were suddenly put on a flight to India on May 24.
Their father, Indian national Srinivasan Sivaraman, 40, had died the previous day after inhaling toxic fumes while performing routine tank cleaning at the Choa Chu Kang Waterworks Division of the National Water Supply Board (PUB).
Heartbroken by the news, his wife, Narmatha (35), took her children and returned to her hometown of Kambalnatham, a small village in Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu, where she was consoled by relatives.
On May 29, when Sivaraman’s body arrived in the village for the final rites and cremation, his children were informed of their father’s death for the first time.
When the girls persistently asked where their father was, they were first told by their mother and uncle that he was unwell and receiving treatment in Singapore.
About 600 relatives and friends attended the funeral and witnessed their outpouring of grief.
The children’s maternal uncle, Mohan Naveenkumar, 33, described how he tried to comfort Mahsuri, nine, and Srinisha, seven.
He reassured them and tried to wipe away their tears, but Mahsuri asked him, “How can you expect me not to cry when you have said that my father will never be with me again?”
Naveen Kumar said Mahsuri would dedicate an hour to video calling with her father every day, during which she would narrate happenings at school and then jokingly switch roles, with her father playing the student and her playing the teacher.
Some days her mother would urge her to keep the calls short because her father needed rest after a long day at work, but Mahsuri was always determined to talk to him for as long as possible.
Naveen Kumar said his second daughter Srinisha is still struggling to comprehend her father’s death.
“At the funeral she could only cry and look with confusion at the teary-eyed faces around her,” he said in Tamil.
Mr Sivaraman, who was a cleaning operations manager for Supersonic Maintenance Services, was found unconscious at the PUB premises at about 11.15am on May 23. He was pronounced dead at hospital later the same day.
Two Malaysian workers were also found unconscious after inhaling gas, one of whom died on 28 May and the other was removed from intensive care the same day in a stable condition.
According to PUB, preliminary investigations have determined that the workers inhaled hydrogen sulfide gas, a by-product of the water treatment process.
Naveen Kumar said the children had been away from their father for a year and a half and were thrilled to be able to take time off school to spend an extra month with him in Singapore.
“The last 20 days have been one of unparalleled joy. Every evening, my family and Sivaraman’s family would gather together in joy and go on trips to beaches, temples, parks etc,” he said.
“Sivaraman had also meticulously planned a holiday in Malaysia from May 27.
“On the morning of the incident, he told his family to be ready for a trip to Gardens by the Bay by 5pm and left for work, which his daughters were very excited about.
“But at 3 pm, we received a call that Sivaraman had been admitted. My sister and I rushed to the hospital only to find that he had passed away. We were in complete shock.”
Narmatha, who had been married to Sivaraman for 11 years, was grief-stricken, her brother said. She tried to explain the situation to her children but was at a loss for words.
News of Sivaraman’s death cast a pall over the village. Relatives, friends and villagers gathered on Wednesday to get a final look at his body before it was taken to the crematorium. They laid flowers and wreaths and offered heartfelt prayers.
“He was regarded by all as a warm and caring person who would always lend a helping hand to anyone in need,” Naveen Kumar said.
