OFW recalls experience saving child and old woman from HK residential fire

An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) shared her experience rescuing a child and an elderly woman from the massive fire that hit a residential complex in Hong Kong on November 26.

According to a "24 Oras" report by Darlene Cay on Friday, OFW Vame Mariz Verador shared that she was motivated by her will to go home to her family in the Philippines while making her way out of the building. 

“Nagbagsakan na yung kawayan, yung net, umaapoy na, tapos umuulan na ng bato na may kasamang apoy… Sabi ko, 'hindi pwede, hindi ako makalabas dito, kailangan naming mabuhay,'" said Verador. 

(The bamboo was falling apart, the nets were on fire, and the rocks were blazing… I said, “This can’t happen that I won't get out of here. We must survive.”)

“Nagulat din ako kasi parang binabasag na nila yung pintuan ng katabi namin. So nung pababa na kami, karga karga ko yung bata, sabi ko, 'Bakit sa hagdanan kami bumaba?' Then 15th floor pababa kami, naamoy ko na yung usok. Sabi ko, hala, doon ako nagpanic,” she added.

(I was shocked because it seemed like they were breaking the glass of the door next to us. When we went down, I was carrying the child, and I wondered why we were taking the stairs. Then I smelled the smoke on the 15th floor. That’s when I panicked.)

“Yung bata, nag-aalala ako kasi umiiyak na siya… Tapos nang palabas na ako, nashock ako kasi ubos na pala yung kabilang building namin. Natulala ako, hindi ako makagalaw."

(I was worried about the child who was crying… When we were about to get out, I was shocked because it turned out that the next building was already gone. I was shocked, and I couldn’t move.)

“Takbo ako ng takbo kasi karga ko yung bata, yung lola, sunod sa akin… Noon feeling ko na wala nang mga buhangin na nagbabagsakan… Kala mo di ka na mabubuhay. Di ka na uuwi sa Pinas at makikita ang anak mo. Doon ako sobrang umiyak, nang nakita ko na ubos na yung dalawang building… Kaya thankful kay God na binuhay mo pa ako,” she added.

(I kept running and running because I was carrying the child, and the old woman was behind me… Back then I felt that no more sand was falling down… I thought we wouldn’t survive anymore, that I could no longer return to the Philippines and be with my children. That’s when I started crying, when I saw that the two buildings were destroyed. That’s why I’m thankful to God because He let me live.)

Another OFW survivor, Rowena Paril, who lived on the 9th floor, also recounted her harrowing experience.

“Hindi ko na talaga makita yung daanan namin. Paglingon ko ng ganyan, grabe, namumula na yung apoy. Tapos kung dito na naman ako dadaan, grabe yung nagsalpukan na rin,” Paril said.

(I couldn’t see where we were going anymore. When I turned, the fire was blazing red. If I passed through here, there would be obstacles, too.)

One call, she said, probably saved her life.

“Siguro kung hindi tumawag si Sir sa akin yan, patay talaga ako...wala kaming narinig, wala kaming signal na may sunog pala,” she added.

(I guess if Sir didn’t call me back then, I probably would be dead...we really couldn’t hear anything, and there was no signal that a fire had already started.) — Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News