A 45-year-old Filipino domestic helper in Hong Kong was declared dead after being crushed by a fallng cabinet yesterday.

The woman surnamed Fortes was sleeping with a 5-year-old boy in her room when a heavy wooden cabinet fell on her. Fortes was sleeping on a pull-out bed just beside the boy she was caring for. The cabinet was fixed to the wall just above where she was sleeping, reported South China Morning Post.

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The incident occurred around 6:45 am yesterday in an apartment at Mau Yip Road, Tseung Kwan O, said local authorities. The boy who was under her care was not injured. He immediately rushed to wake his 48-year old father who was in another room when the accident took place, the police said.

The family rushed the unconscious woman to the Tseung Kwan O Hospital, but Fortes was declared dead before 8 a.m. on the same day.

Authorities said the woman has been working for the family for a few years already. The boy’s grandparents and his dad were present at home when the incident occurred. Meanwhile, the police did not disclose information how heavy the cabinet was or what was inside. They only referred to it as “heavy wooden cabinet," said a report from SCMP.

The police representative said the Labour Department has already been informed. She also said that no evidence of foul play was seen in the location of the accident.

A similar incident also occurred in 2007 when two children aged 2 and 4 were also struck by a wooden cabinet affixed to their wall. The boys, who lived in Chai Wan flat, were able to escape serious injuries.

TagsSouth China Morning Post, Tseung Kwan O Hospital, Mau Yip Road, Filipino domestic helper