Filipina worker among fatalities in HK fire

A Filipina overseas worker who was reported missing passed away following the Tai Po fire incident in Hong Kong, the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Hong Kong said Sunday.
In a statement, the Consulate identified the victim as Maryan Pascual Esteban, an overseas Filipino worker from Cainta, Rizal. It added that she leaves behind a 10-year-old son and her family in the Philippines.
Department of Migrant Workers Secretary and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (owwa) Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan visited the victim’s family on Saturday night to provide assistance.
Caunan said the victim’s son hoped to become a firefighter “so no one has to die in a fire again,” adding that Esteban died while taking care of her employer’s five-year-old daughter.
The Consulate’s mobile teams continue to check on affected Filipinos. As of 2 p.m. Sunday, 84 Filipinos have been confirmed safe, one injured, and seven others left for verification.
Meanwhile, OWWA reported another Filipina worker identified as Rhodora Alcaraz remained in critical but stable condition.
OWWA said Alcaraz is a newly arrived domestic worker who was injured after rescuing the three-month-old child of her employer.
International reports said the fire, which started on 26 November at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, left 128 dead and 83 injured as of Saturday.
