Hawker, 69, dies suddenly while on holiday with his wife, Latest news from Singapore

A family vacation in Xinjiang took a tragic turn when a 69-year-old street vendor collapsed and died moments before boarding a bus.

Mr Chia Tian Ci, a familiar face at Block 826 Tampines Street 82 where he ran Ah Hua's Kitchen Econ Bee Hoon for nearly 35 years, was on holiday with his wife and friends.

He leaves behind two children who have now taken over the family business.

The incident occurred on September 11 at around 6:30 p.m. local time as the group was preparing to leave Sayram Lake in Xinjiang, China.

At her husband’s wake on September 21, 64-year-old Tan Choo Hua described the shocking experience.

“I heard someone screaming that my husband had fallen. He was only two steps away from getting on the bus,” she said.

“I rushed over and saw him clutching his face, blood pouring from his nose and mouth. I tried to wake him up, but he didn't respond,” she said, her voice heavy with sadness.

Despite immediate attempts to help by passersby and the eventual arrival of paramedics, Mr Chia was pronounced dead at the hospital at around 9pm. Due to the remote location of the tourist attraction, there were significant delays in providing medical care to Mr Chia.

Ms Tan said the couple was inspired to make the trip after hearing the popular song 可可托海的牧羊人 (The Shepherd of Koktokay).

The song tells the story of a heartbroken man wandering across the vast plains of Xinjiang.

The couple, along with eight friends, joined a larger tour group of 87 people that departed Singapore on September 6 and was scheduled to return on September 17.

Her son, Chia Jie Long, 29, told Shin Min Daily News that he booked a flight to Nanjing immediately after receiving the news. From there, he took a connecting flight to Urumqi and then endured a five-hour car ride to Bole, where he began the process of repatriating his father's body.

While some suggested cremating his father in China and bringing his ashes back, Mr Chia was determined to bring his father home.

Since his father was from Malaysia and a permanent resident of Singapore, the paperwork was more complicated. Combined with the Mid-Autumn Festival and the weekend, it took several days to transport his father's body from Urumqi to Beijing and then back to Singapore.

“I am very grateful to the relevant authorities in China and the embassies of Singapore and Malaysia for their support. After ensuring that all the documents were in order, I was finally able to bring my father's body home,” he said.

Mr Chia's body arrived in Singapore on September 20 and his funeral will take place on September 25.