A month after the tragic death of their daughters, who drowned when a suspension bridge collapsed over the Sungai Kampar river, three families are still struggling to come to terms with their loss.

NONE Post-funeral rites were held yesterday at their respective houses for V Divyashree, who was 12, and M Devatharshini and N Dina Deve (left) , both 11.

The emotional upheaval and mental anguish of the families has been exacerbated by the knowledge that the bridge at the Kuala Dipang 1Malaysia camp was constructed without the required permits. It collapsed on Oct 26.

Lorry driver T Nathan said he has not slept properly since the death of Dina, his favourite child. She was born after her mother S Mogana had suffered several miscarriages. They have two sons, now 19 and 17.

Nathan, 45, said Dina "was the live-wire of the family and her smile lingers in my mind".

"Before she was born, my wife used to serve my food. When Dina turned seven, she took over...she knew what I like," he said in distress.

Technician K Vasudevan, 43, has become withdrawn and depressed after Divyashree's death.

He wakes up frequently in cold sweat, thinking of the ordeal his daughter would have experienced when she was thrown into the water and fought for survival.

Vasudevan last saw his daughter alive on Oct 18, after Deepavali, when he and his wife K Kanakam,41, returned to Kuala Lumpur where they work.

NONE Divyashree (right) was the eldest of three girls and a bright student who wanted to become a doctor. She scored 4As and 3Bs in her UPSR examination this year - results that she never saw because these were released last week.

Vasudevan said he was told at 1.30am on Oct 27 that his daughter was reported missing in the incident, and he had dashed to the camp site with his wife.

They waited, hoping she was alive but two days later, were told that her body had been found.

Relatives prevented him from viewing her remains at the Kampar Hospital because he was so distraught.

"It is like the right hand of my body has been chopped off. Every time I see small children now, memories of my daughter come to haunt me and I choke up," he said.

He has had to resign from his job because his employer refused to grant him compassionate leave to attend to the funeral rites.

His wife has quit her job as a clerk in a private firm to look after her other two daughters. She said her husband no longer smiles and has a lost look, as he was very attached to Divyashree.

Deep depression

K Mageswaran left it to his wife R Nagarathna, 41, to talk about Devatharshini as he is in deep depression over his loss.

NONE Devatharshini (left) , the only girl and the youngest of four children, was the darling of the family. She was conceived after Nagarathna prayed for a daughter, and was named after a Hindy deity.

Mageswaran had initially refused her permission to attend the camp, as he was concerned about her safety. When she pleaded and cried, he relented.

A good cook, Mageswaran made her a meal and took her on his bicycle to her school, from where she reported to the camp. Her brother Sarveswaran,12, was also a participant.

About 1.30am on Oct 27, Nagarathna received a phone call from her friend who told her that the bridge had collapsed and that her daughter had been swept away in the current. By then, her husband had left with a friend for the camp site.

Nagarathna said she fainted on hearing the news but, on recovering consciousness, stayed up the whole night, praying for the safety of her other two children.

On three occasions, she went to the camp site but could not locate her daughter. Her relatives even sought the help of a bomoh .

When the body was retrieved from the river three days later, identification had to be made based on the school uniform that Devatharshini was wearing.

"It's hard to accept that she has gone. But her spirit remains with us in our home," said Nagarathna, consoling herself.

Mageswaran's relatives, worried for his health, have tried to persuade him to change residence, but he refuses to leave the house where his daughter once lived.