Hougang murder: Victim’s body to be repatriated to Vietnam for last rites
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A photo of the victim, Ms Dao Thi Hong, on a flatmate’s phone.
PHOTO: ST FILE
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SINGAPORE - Ms Dao Thi Hong, the woman killed in a knife attack in Hougang, will be going home, with her sister making arrangements to have her body repatriated to Vietnam on Dec 14.
Friends of the victim said last rites will be held where the family lives in Thanh Hoa, a city in central Vietnam about 150km south of Hanoi.
Mr Nguyen Trong Vinh, who shared a Housing Board flat with Ms Hong and two other roommates, said more than 100 friends and relatives are waiting in Ms Hong’s home town for her return.
The 34-year-old mother of three
A 26-year-old man – another worker at the store – tried to stop the attack and was wounded. The attacker, who was injured in the incident, has since been charged with murder.
The victim’s older sister arrived in Singapore from Vietnam on Dec 11 to settle her sister’s affairs. She paid her respects at a makeshift altar set up for Ms Hong at the back of the hardware store.
Ms Hong’s sister was at the Singapore General Hospital mortuary on Dec 13 with friends and relatives to identify the victim’s body, according to local Chinese paper Shin Min Daily News.
She appeared puffy-eyed. They declined to speak to the media.
Mr Vinh, who refers to the victim as “Ah Hong”, said Ms Hong’s sister came by the flat later in the day to pick up her belongings.
He said: “She cried when she saw that Ah Hong had bought a lot of gifts for their family back home. She said, ‘Why did (Ah Hong) buy so many things?’”
According to the victim’s friends, Ms Hong moved to Singapore around five years ago to provide for her family. She was planning a visit home in 2025.
Friends from the Vietnamese community supporting the sister (third from left) of the murder victim at the hardware store in Kovan.
PHOTO: ST FILE
According to Vietnamese news reports, the Vietnam Embassy in Singapore is coordinating with the local authorities to clarify the cause of the attack.
The embassy has also contacted Ms Hong’s family to assist with funeral arrangements, reported online news agency VietnamPlus.
Mr Vinh said he gave Ms Hong’s sister condolence money collected from friends and members of the Vietnamese community.
“She said thank you to everybody for helping her and her younger sister,” said Mr Vinh.
The attacker, Chinese national Du Zaixing, was charged with murder
His case will be heard again on Dec 19. If convicted of murder, he faces the death penalty.
