[UPDATED] Zara laid to rest again in Sipitang after post-mortem in Kota Kinabalu

SIPITANG: The remains of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, a student of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha in Papar, were reburied at 1.15am today at the Tanjung Ubi Muslim Cemetery in Mesapol.

The reburial, which lasted about 30 minutes, followed the arrival of her remains at the cemetery at 12.41am.

Earlier, a post-mortem was conducted at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital (HQE) in Kota Kinabalu, which lasted about eight hours.

The procedure began at around 11am yesterday and was completed by 7.30pm.

After the post-mortem, the hearse carrying Zara’s remains left HQE at 9.20 pm and arrived here at 12.41am.

Despite rainy weather, dozens of members of the public — including Zara’s family and friends — gathered at the cemetery and waited until the burial was completed.

On Saturday, Zara’s grave was exhumed in preparation for the post-mortem. The process began at 6.04pm and concluded at 7.31pm.

Zara was found unconscious on July 16 and is believed to have fallen from the third floor of a dormitory building.

She was pronounced dead the following day at HQE1.

On July 31, Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said police had not ruled out the possibility that bullying was a factor in the incident.

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

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