By Daisy CL Mandap
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| The Filipina tourist who was hit by a falling signage suffered injuries to her legs and arms |
A Filipina tourist who was hit by falling debris in
Tsimshatsui yesterday amid the onslaught of severe typhoon Mangkhut, is set to
undergo a second operation in Queen Elizabeth Hospital
in Kowloon
This was according to Consul Paulo Saret, head of the
assistance to nationals section of the Consulate, which has been assisting the
victim.
Saret said that the Filipina was hit by a falling signage,
and sustained serious injuries to her legs and arms. She underwent surgery
within hours of being admitted to hospital, but will have to go under the knife
for a second time.
She is, however, expected to recover fully from her
injuries.
According to ATN’s Danny Baldon, the victim, who is a dentist,
had gone out of her hotel room to buy coffee from a nearby 7-11 outlet when she
met the accident.
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| Consul Saret |
A sister-in-law who came to Hong Kong
with the victim has reportedly provided information about the case to the
Consulate.
Earlier reports that spread through wildfire on social media
was that the Filipina had died after being hit by a dislodged air conditioner
in Mirador Mansions in Tsimshatsui. The story, which rapidly circulated among
Filipinos and was even picked up by a Manila TV station, proved to be wrong on
all counts.
Saret, meanwhile, is also looking into the filing of a
complaint with Hong Kong authorities about a
tour operator who had left a group of Filipino tourists stranded for hours near
the Tsing Ma bridge at the height of the storm yesterday.
The 36 tourists, who included two children and three
seniors, were reportedly picked up by the tour agent at their hotel in Tsing Yi
at about 10am, shortly after signal no 10 was hoisted, and were on their way to
the airport when the vehicle’s windshield crashed from the strong winds.
The tourists were reportedly left inside the bus with the
shattered glass for hours, until someone managed to call the Consulate to ask
for help. Baldon immediately called 999, and by around 5pm, the tourists were
pulled out of the bus and sent back to their hotel.
Saret said that since the rescue, no one in the tour group
had called up the Consulate again, so they assume everyone managed to get on
their flights back to the Philippines
Still, he said they will pursue a complaint about the
incident to relevant government officials in Hong Kong .
“We have already drafted a complaint letter and intend to
send it to the Hong Kong authorities soon,” he
said.
Saret said another casualty of Mangkhut’s onslaught was the
scheduled legal consultation and forum at the Consulate by members of the
Integrated Bar of the Philippines Batangas chapter.
The visiting lawyers had to skip the Sunday session with
OFWs, but reportedly passed by the Consulate on their way to the airport
earlier today, to pay a courtesy visit to Consul General Antonio A. Morales.
