Hong kong: Foreign housekeepers, particularly Indonesians and Filipinos, are among the hardest hit by a devastating fire at a residential building in Hong Kong, with some of the survivors facing job losses.
According to Thai News Agency, Fita, a 49-year-old Indonesian maid, recounted the terrifying moments when she heard sirens, saw flying debris, and smelled something burning. She immediately informed her employer about the fire, but he initially dismissed her warning. Eventually, they both fled the building amid the chaos, narrowly escaping harm. Fita, overwhelmed with fear, prayed for the safety of those still missing and is now searching for several foreign maid friends. Meanwhile, the family of Rodora Alcaraz, a 28-year-old Filipina maid, shared that she sent several panic-stricken voice messages on Facebook as she was trapped in her smoky room with her employer’s three-month-old baby. Alcaraz wrapped the baby in a wet blanket until firefighters arrived to rescue them.
Indonesian authorities reported that six civilians were killed in the fire, while the Philippines confirmed one civilian was seriously injured, another was missing, and 28 others were believed to be residing in the area, though their current whereabouts remain unknown.
Hong Kong houses approximately 368,000 foreign domestic workers, predominantly women from low-income Asian countries, who live in cramped quarters with their employers. These workers perform various tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and childcare, often earning as little as HK$5,000 a month in one of the world’s most expensive cities.
The fire, which erupted in the Wang Fuk Court development on November 26th, took 43 hours to extinguish. Seven out of eight buildings were destroyed, with the death toll standing at 128. The number of missing has decreased from nearly 200 to around 150.
The Migration Office expressed hope that the emergency relief funds provided by the Hong Kong government would also extend to foreign domestic workers, offering assistance with managing identity documents that were lost in the fire. A source familiar with the situation revealed that two migrant workers have lost their jobs, possibly due to the financial impact of the fire on their employers. The source expressed sympathy for these domestic workers, who are now grappling with both emotional trauma and job loss, a double burden that has left many struggling to cope.