Monday, February 04, 2013

RIP - Claudia Theophilus

I really only got to know Claudia  in 2006 after I had left the New Straits Times and had begun to blog actively..
I would usually meet her at the National Press Club.
She was such a pleasant person...and really great to talk with. And that time there was so much to talk about...so much she wanted to know ...

What a shock it was when I saw the news flash yesterday of her untimely demise.

Claudia was killed in a firearm mishap in Lebanon on Saturday. She was 42.


She was most currently working as  web producer  with Al-Jazeera English news agency in Doha.

She died after a rifle -  which she was taking a look at, went off accidentally at about  2.30am local time (about 8.30am Malaysian time).

 The incident happened in Baakleen - located about 45km  southeast of Beirut.

 Malaysian ambassador to Beirut Ilango Karuppannan said shes died shortly after she arrived at a general  hospital in the district.

The New Straits Times quoted Karuppannan as saying that  Claudia and two Lebanese  friends were taking a look at several rifles, when one of it  accidentally went off.

 “She was rushed to the hospital, but attempts to save her  life were unsuccessful,” he told the New Straits Times.

He said an initial police report did not indicate any criminal  element in the incident.

 Ilango said the embassy was informed of the incident about  noon the same day, before it sent officers to the hospital.

 He said Wisma Putra had informed Claudia’s family in Malaysia and preparations are being made to fly her body home  as soon as possible.

 He said her body will be taken to Beirut before  it is flown  back to Kuala Lumpur.

 Claudia  began her journalism career at The Sun newspaper and  Malaysiakini news portal here.
 She arrived in Lebanon on  Jan 28 to meet her friends.

May you rest in peace, dear Claudia.





1 comment:

Hock Thai said...

She died from a stray bullet. RIP