Ong Lee Jye, 56, was on a reunion trip with 28 former schoolmates from SKC Jementah in Segamat, Johor, when East Lombok was struck by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake.

She was accompanied by her husband, Phang Kim Foo, also 56,

Recalling the incident on her return to klia2 this afternoon, Ong said several members of the group were taking a dip at the waterfall when she decided to get out of the water half an hour earlier to watch her friends.

“At first I felt the tremors. Then I saw stones falling, accompanied by loud noises.

“My husband and I ran as fast as we could. Those 30 minutes probably saved our lives,” Bernama quoted her as saying.

The quake killed two Malaysians – Sin Chew Daily deputy executive editor-in-chief Tai Siew Kim and another woman identified as Lim Sai Wah – and injured seven.

Four of the injured are still in hospital.

Ong, who was in a wheelchair after she was injured by stones, said she and her husband had not got over the trauma and were still coping with the loss of her two very good friends.

Ong and Phang were greeted on their return from Lombok by four former schoolmates who came from Shah Alam to show their support.

The remains of Tai and Lim arrived home this evening on a Garuda flight from Jakarta before being taken to the cargo complex.

They were received by family members and friends, including a management team from Sin Chew Daily. After paying their respects, priests conducted prayers.

Also present at the cargo complex was Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook.