Malaysian baby dies in mother’s arms during six-hour bus ride to hospital

A Malaysian mother has received a wave of sympathy from netizens after video showed her cradling her lifeless baby as they were on their way to seek medical treatment.

The woman was reportedly taking her sick child, who was born a few months ago, from the small town of Julau in Sarawak, east Malaysia, to a hospital in Kuching six hours away when it was discovered the child had stopped breathing at a rest stop the way.

The baby’s cause of death is unclear.

Video of the tragic incident that took place on Monday was shared on Facebook by a fellow passenger.

In the widely shared clip, the unidentified mother was seen stroking and kissing her baby’s head. A few people could be seen around her as if to offer consolation for her tragic loss.

The video has been viewed more than 1.1 million times and shared nearly 7,000 times. The comments section was flooded with words of sympathy and condolences from online users.

Many expressed admiration for the woman’s strength, while others prayed that she would patiently accept the loss of her child.

One user wrote: “Rest in peace baby. I am sad when I look at the mother. she looks so calm Stay strong sister, God loves your child more. I understand this feeling of loss well.”

A number of netizens asked why there were no hospitals closer to where the family lived.

According to reports, a village chief who happened to be at the scene offered to take the mother and deceased child to a medical center. He also gave the woman 300 ringgit (US$68) to cover her travel expenses, Malaysian media reported.