SINGAPORE — When he arrived at the scene where his two boys — aged seven and 13 — were killed in a traffic accident on Monday evening, Mr Francis Yap, 39, could hardly recognise his elder son’s badly mangled bicycle.

The damage to the bicycle led him to conclude that, if the cement truck had been moving slower, the accident “would not have happened”, Mr Yap, a warrant officer with the military, told reporters yesterday at his sons’ wake.

The accident occurred at the junction of Tampines Avenue 9 and Tampines Street 45. Nigel, the elder brother, was taking Donovan home from Tampines North Primary School after the latter’s co-curricular activity.

Mr Yap said it was “not the first time” that Nigel was ferrying his brother — who is in Primary 2 — home from school on his bicycle.

He added that he had taught his two boys how to look out for traffic and observe traffic regulations.

Eyewitnesses reportedly said that the truck driver — a 56-year-old Singaporean man who has since been arrested — was apparently unaware that he had hit the boys and continued driving until other drivers honked at him to stop.

Mr Yap said: “The vehicle is tall ... you can’t see (the bicycle). So you must take extra caution.”

His wife, Madam Suliani Ang, 39, who broke down at the scene on Monday, could not control her emotions yesterday when the coffins of the boys — the couple’s only children — were brought to the wake.

The accident triggered an outpouring of grief on social media. Gruesome pictures of it were also circulated, leading several prominent figures — including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong — to urge the public to show sensitivity and respect for the family.

Ministers and Members of Parliament also conveyed their condolences.

Writing on his Facebook page, Mr Lee said that he was “saddened to learn of the terrible accident”.

Adding that his thoughts are with the family, Mr Lee said: “So tragic that an evening cycle could end like this ... We will render all the help they need to get through this difficult period.”