Indonesian Helper Recalls Three-Hour Ordeal in Hong Kong Tower Fire

An Indonesian domestic helper and two elderly people survived a major Hong Kong apartment fire by sheltering in a bedroom for three hours. They used wet towels to breathe as smoke filled the room. The fire broke out on November 26 at the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po. It spread through seven of the estate's eight high-rise residential blocks. The helper, who gave her name as Olive, was with her employer's elderly parents. As flames spread, the trio became trapped. They retreated to a bedroom, sealed the door, and waited for rescue. "We huddled together and covered our noses with wet towels," Olive told the *Post*. She described the three-hour wait as terrifying. The fire is one of the most severe to hit a Hong Kong public housing estate in recent years. Investigations into its cause are ongoing.