Condolence money applies to helpers killed in Tai Po

The government said the condolence money offered to the families of the deceased in Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court fire would also apply to the families of foreign domestic helpers and workers at the site who were killed by the blaze.

The HK$200,000 in condolence money is being offered to the family of each person killed in the blaze that has so far taken 146 lives.

This includes a Filipino and nine Indonesian helpers, according to the countries’ consulate generals in Hong Kong on Sunday.

Filipino worker Rhodora Alcaraz was among those who made it out in time, and helped save a three-month-old baby from the fire.

The 28-year-old who only came to Hong Kong recently was praised for her bravery by the Filipino community.

Rhoda Lynn Dayo, her former employer, also said Alcaraz is a “symbol of courage and compassion”.

“I was feeling sick to my stomach when her sister Dory was messaging me and sending the voice messages that she was trapped in the fire holding the baby,” she said.

“But it’s so like her. It’s so like her to put her life on the line for someone else. People are really recognising your act of bravery. I commend her. I am so proud of her.” (Additional reporting by Reuters)