THE Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) on Friday said another Filipinos died as a result of the fire that razed a food factory in Taiwan, raising to four the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who perished in the incident.
MECO chief Silvestre Bello III, in a text message, identified the fourth victim as Maricris Fernando, a native of La Union, who reportedly died of severe carbon monoxide poisoning due to the conflagration.
It appeared that Fernando expired at the intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital where she underwent dialysis because her urine discharge was very minimal.
The other OFWs who reportedly died in the blaze were identified as Renato Larua of Cavite; Nancy Revilla of Marinduque, and Aroma Miranda of Tarlac.
Bello said the Taiwan authorities pledged aid for the kin of the OFWs who died, adding that repatriation proceedings for the fatalities’ remains were underway.
However, Bello did not give a definitive timeline for the bodies’ arrival in Manila.
“The repatriation depends on the result of the embalming of the bodies and compliance with the legal documents,” Bello said.
The other OFWs who were injured as the Lian-Hwa Foods Corp. factory in Changhua county burned last Tuesday included Sheila May Abas, Jessie Boy Samson, Rodel Uttao, and Santiago Suba Jr. They were reported to be in stable condition.