Filipina domestic helper who shielded 3-month-old baby during deadly Hong Kong fire hailed as a hero

MANILA: Hong Kong’s worst fire in years also affected its domestic helpers, 200 of whom lived at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex.

A Filipino helper named Rhodora Alcaraz, 28, had arrived in Hong Kong just a few days before the fire.

As the five-alarm fire raged on, Ms Alcaraz shielded a three-month-old infant in her care from the blaze, and when firefighters discovered them, she was found with her arms still around the baby. The firefighters who found them also said that she had wrapped the baby in a wet blanket for additional protection.

The two were later brought to the hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation. While the baby is now in stable condition, Ms Alcaraz is still in the intensive care unit as she required intubation to support her breathing.

Reports say that she is likely to need more medical care when she is discharged from the ICU.

Fortunately, Ms Alcaraz is now in stable condition.

“The tube was gone, and she was able to speak a little. She recounted to us everything that happened in the building. She is now stable, and the prognosis is good. Her vital signs are stable,” Consul General Romulo Victor Israel Jr was quoted as saying.

He added, “Hopefully, in a few days, her condition gets better so she can be discharged from the hospital. She’s very interested to know what happened to the baby—she’s been asking all the doctors about the infant. That’s probably just showing how caring Filipinos are.”

The Wang Fuk Court fire

As of Tuesday (Dec 2), the fire had claimed at least 151 people, and more than 50 people are still missing

At least 10 of the people who died were domestic helpers. The South China Morning Post reported on Dec 1 that so far, nine of the domestic helpers who died in the fire were from Indonesia. The other casualty is from the Philippines, although seven Filipinas are among the missing.

The Filipino woman who died has been identified as Maryan Pascual Esteban, who left behind a son, 10, back home. The families of each victim of the fire will be given HK$200,000 (S$33,270) in government assistance.

There are almost 370,000 domestic helpers in Hong Kong, most of whom come from the Philippines and Indonesia. They provide care for young children and elderly citizens. /TISG

Read also: Hong Kong mourns deadliest fire in decades as Beijing signals hard line on unrest amid public fury over safety failures