Lovelorn Filipina jumps to death from airport concourse

April 08, 2016 13:37

This glass barrier in the airport departure concourse could not stop a Filipino domestic helper from jumping to her death. Photo: HKEJ

A Filipino domestic helper jumped to her death in the atrium of Hong Kong airport, moments after she was seen wandering aimlessly in the departure concourse.

The 27-year-old woman, surnamed Solomon, died in a hospital without regaining consciousness, Apple Daily reports.

She decided to return to the Philippines after her boyfriend threatened to end their relationship, hoping to patch things up, the report said.

Hours earlier, she had gone to a police station in Tai Po to inquire about buying an airline ticket, investigators said.

Officers alerted to her erratic behavior contacted her employer.

Solomon, who had worked for the employer for three years, had terminated her contract and moved her departure a day early.

Her employer bought an airline ticket and got her a taxi on the morning of her departure.

She was in the airport by 7 a.m. on Thursday.

Witnesses said they saw her looking distressed and wandering aimlessly near the glass railing in the passenger concourse.

Moments later, Solomon climbed over the barrier and jumped, they said.

She landed on the concrete floor nine meters below where she lay unconscious before emergency personnel arrived.

Solomon was brought to hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

Doris Lee, president of the foreign domestic helper group Open Door, said employers should pay attention to signs of mental distress in their helpers.

Lee said foreign domestic helpers are prone to extremes of emotion due to their long separation from their loved ones.

Employers could help by giving them personal space and a sympathetic ear, she said.

Sufferers of mental stress can be referred to organizations that provide counselling services such as Mission For Migrant Workers and Christian Action, news website hk01.com reports.

EJ Insight supports efforts to help people deal with depression and related issues. Here is the 24-hour multilingual suicide prevention hotline of The Samaritans: +852 2896 0000 (or email [email protected]).

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