The 43-year-old preacher said he did not expect that to be a sign that his wife would leave him forever.

Hamzah said, normally, he and his late wife would send their two daughters Khairunnisa, 14, and Nur Syuhada, 16, to the Islamic school (madrasah) in Samariang, Kuching. Lessons are scheduled to begin there next week.

“However, yesterday, she (Siti Aishah) insisted that she be with her sister (Lorna Ting) to send our daughters back to the school in Kuching,” he said when met by reporters at the Sri Aman Hospital here today.

Siti Aishah, 36, Lorna, 33, (who was previously identified as Ronany Ting), together with Kharunnisa and Nur Suhada, died after the four-wheel drive vehicle they were in went out of control and plunged into Sungai Batang Lupar, while boarding the ferry yesterday.

Hamzah’s three other children, identified as Mohd Aiman, seven, Mohd Mustaqim, five, and four-month-old Mohd Ahmad, also died in the tragedy at 3pm, which also claimed the lives of their two cousins, Wallace Phang, seven, and Alvin Phang, 12.

Hamzah said the last time he received a WhatsApp message from his wife was after Friday prayers yesterday, saying that she was on her way to Kuching with her brother-in-law and other family members in two vehicles.

“I found out about the incident after receiving a call from my mother-in-law about 3.19pm,” he said adding that he accepted the fate that had befallen his family as a test from God.

Meanwhile, Munah Agon, 58, the mother of Siti Aishah and Lorna, when met at the Sri Aman Hospital Forensic Unit, said she was still in a state of shock over the incident.

Munah, who was travelling in another vehicle driven by her son and trailing the 4WD, said she was only able to scream upon seeing the vehicle driven by Lorna suddenly lose control and plunge into the river.

“I couldn’t do anything except watch the car start to sink. My children and grandchildren were pulled out of the river by members of the public,” said Munah, who lost her two daughters and her seven grandchildren in the incident.

“Before leaving, Siti Aishah, had also asked me to dress beautifully,” she said.

Hamzah said the remains of his wife and children would be buried in one grave at the Kampung Hulu Sri Aman Muslim Cemetery. The bodies of Lorna and her two sons would be taken to Sibu after completing the post-mortem at the Sri Aman Hospital.