Sawt Falasteen - Migrant domestic workers seek support, solace after Hong Kong fire

Many found themselves in limbo after the disaster.

At least 10 of the 146 people killed in the fire that devastated the high-rise towers of Wang Fuk Court were migrant workers, an often overlooked segment of the workforce.

Dozens more are unaccounted for, according to an AFP tally based on information from consulates.

Hong Kong is home to nearly 370,000 migrant domestic workers, predominantly women from the Philippines and Indonesia caring for infants and the elderly in a city with an ageing population.

Migrant workers typically have Sundays off and prayers were held in neighbourhoods across the city. Attendees told AFP about friends who had gone missing and how support efforts for survivors at times fell short.

Sudarsih, an Indonesian woman who has worked in Hong Kong for 15 years, said two of her friends were still missing.

"God bless, they will be found quickly and are safe," she said.

Those at the Victoria Park event sang hymns and prayed near a banner on the ground that read: "Dearly departed ones: highest respect and recognition to the loyalty and bravery of migrant domestic workers."

Dwi Sayekti, 38, said she hoped the disaster would be the "first and last".

"I hope in the future, it doesn't happen again. And all of those who lost their lives in Tai Po can be found," she said in a broken voice.

Across town, in Hong Kong's central business district, around 100 Filipino workers held a prayer meeting at their usual Sunday gathering spot with glittering office buildings looming overhead.

"We are praying that hopefully there will be no more casualties in this fire tragedy," said Dolores Balladares, chairwoman of United Filipinos in Hong Kong.

- 'Duty' -

Many of the well-wishes were directed towards Rhodora Alcaraz, a young woman from the Philippines who started working in Hong Kong just a few days before the tragedy.

In an unverified but widely circulated account of events, Alcaraz shielded her employer's three-month-old infant with her body when the fire broke out.

When firefighters found them in the smoke-filled apartment, she was still cradling the baby.

Alcaraz was reportedly admitted to an intensive care unit, though AFP was unable to confirm her latest condition.

Fellow migrant worker Michelle Magcale said she felt "so sad" and "speechless" upon hearing the news.

"I can't express how sad it is," the 49-year-old said.

"On behalf of her duty, on behalf of her responsibility, she saved one more life ... we are thankful for that," she added.

Balladares, the Filipino group leader, said, "We also salute her because she gave her best... to protect the family."

Manila's consulate in Hong Kong said a woman named Maryan Pascual Esteban was killed in the fire, leaving behind a 10-year-old son and her family in Cainta, Rizal.

One Filipino national was injured and the status of seven others had yet to be verified, the consulate added.

Jakarta's consulate said nine Indonesians were killed in the fire with one injured and 42 others currently unaccounted for.

- Support needed -

More than 50 survivors have sought help from the Asian Migrants' Coordinating Body, according to spokeswoman Shiela Tebia.

Tebia said the women urgently needed clothing, especially underwear, adding that their ID cards and passports had been burned .

They are "still processing, and some actually cannot sleep well... they are also traumatised," Tebia told AFP.

"But despite that condition, they still need to support their employer because their employer is also grieving."

Tebia said the consulates have promised help for victims but specifics were lacking.

Sringatin, chair of Indonesian Migrant Workers Union, told AFP the consulate could not provide information in a timely manner, while her group tried to "make people less panicked".

Family members of each deceased victim will receive HK$200,000 ($25,700) in government assistance.

But that was only an "initial step", said Edwina Antonio, the executive director at Bethune House migrant women's refuge.

"What about those who survived?" she said. "(Those) who are still in Hong Kong, they lost everything that they have."

Antonio urged the government to include migrant workers when offering financial assistance, because they are "often the only breadwinners of their families".

P.Tamimi--SF-PST