Corporal First Class (CFC) Liu Kai passed away on Saturday, Nov. 3, as a result of injuries sustained during a training accident involving a Bionix armoured vehicle.

CFC Liu's wake was held in Woodlands and his body was cremated on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

He is the youngest sibling with two elder sisters, one of whom was celebrating her birthday on the day her brother passed away.

The Liu family hails from China and have been living and studying in Singapore for more than 10 years.

The family members were applying to become Singapore citizens.

Liu was undergoing his National Service (NS) stint when the accident happened.

He had wanted to become a Singaporean too, his sibling said.

Mother's grief

Scenes of grief played out once again on Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the final send-off for full-time national serviceman CFC Li after a three-day wake.

This has been the third training or safety-related death for the Singapore Armed Forces in 2018 so far.

Accompanying the hearse out of Woodlands estate where the family is staying at, CFC Liu's mother could be seen openly grieving as family, friends, and SAF servicemen in uniform and black armbands followed closely behind.

The hearse was headed for the Mandai Crematorium, where a military funeral was scheduled to take place.

CFC Liu's mother was initially seated in her wheelchair, and had to be helped out of it.

She was reported to have been diagnosed with cancer in April this year.

Emotional scenes at the military funeral for CFC Liu Kai https://t.co/sp4eabSI9o pic.twitter.com/abSLqfGy39

— CNA (@ChannelNewsAsia) November 6, 2018

The procession started after SAF pallbearers carried out the Singapore flag-draped casket into the white hearse and saluted, as family members watched and sobbed under black umbrellas.

Before that, attendees sang a Chinese gospel song, and a man holding a bible raised his hand and prayed before closing the casket.

CFC Liu was said to have been active in church and had planned to take leave during NS to go to northern Thailand for a mission trip to help the less well-off.

A final salute for CFC Liu Kai #RIP https://t.co/sp4eabSI9o pic.twitter.com/W7Du4395pW

— CNA (@ChannelNewsAsia) November 6, 2018

About the incident

CFC Liu was operating a Land Rover as part of a field training exercise when a Bionix vehicle reversed into his vehicle at around 10.10am at the Jalan Murai training area.

He was a Transport Operator from the Singapore Armed Forces' Transport Hub West, and held the rank of Private at the time of the accident.

He lost consciousness and was attended to immediately by a medic.

CFC Liu succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead by medical officers at around 10.35am on Saturday, Nov. 3.

He was given the rank of CFC posthumously.

Police investigations are ongoing and an independent Committee of Inquiry will be convened to investigate the incident.

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