Lucky Plaza accident

Over $360,000 raised online for victims, families

Mourners at a makeshift memorial near the site of the Dec 29 accident at Lucky Plaza on Sunday. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Mourners at a makeshift memorial near the site of the Dec 29 accident at Lucky Plaza on Sunday. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

More than $360,000 has been raised for the Filipino victims of the Dec 29 Lucky Plaza accident in an online fund-raiser that closed at 12pm yesterday.

The Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE), together with the Domestic Employees Welfare Fund, collected $362,521 from 2,888 donors in about a week, according to figures on fund-raising website Giving.sg.

This amount is more than double CDE's funding target.

All proceeds in the online fund-raising campaign - which started on Dec 30 at 7.45pm - will go directly towards helping the four injured maids and the dependants of the two maids who died from their injuries after the accident.

Those looking to donate can still do so until Jan 18, by donating in person with cash at the CDE office in Lucky Plaza, or by posting a cheque.

More details are available on the CDE website.

CDE chairman Yeo Guat Kwang said on Facebook last Friday that the centre decided to start receiving these "manual donations" that day after receiving feedback from the public.

He thanked members of the public for their generosity, writing: "CDE, the employers, the victims and their families have been overwhelmed by your strong and gracious support... Your support has given us the flexibility we need to convey urgent financial support to the dependants of the two deceased and the two still-hospitalised workers."

CDE will also be complying with the "necessary accounting and governance requirements set by the Commissioner of Charities" in distributing the money, he added.

On the afternoon of Dec 29, the six Filipino maids were on a pavement in Nutmeg Road behind Lucky Plaza for an early New Year celebration when a black Honda car turned towards them, mounted the kerb, hit the group, crashed into the pavement railing and plunged several metres onto the Lucky Plaza carpark exit lane below.

It is believed that the victims were flung from the pavement to the lane below as the car fell.

Two of the victims, Ms Abigail Danao Leste, 41, and Ms Arlyn Picar Nucos, 50, were killed.

CDE said on Facebook last Thursday that Ms Leste's remains would be returned that evening to the Philippines, where her family would receive them.

Ms Nucos' remains were repatriated to the Philippines last Wednesday.

One of those hurt in the accident was Ms Nucos' sister Arceli, 56, who is still hospitalised in Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Two others in the group are believed to be relatives: Ms Egnal Layugan Limbauan, 43, and Ms Demet Limbauan Limbauan, 37.

While Ms Demet has since been discharged, Ms Egnal is still in a high dependency ward but conscious.

The last woman in the group, Ms Laila Flores Laudencia, 44, has also been discharged.

The Straits Times has contacted CDE for an update on the condition of the two hospitalised women.

The six women were a tight-knit group, getting together on most Sundays.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 07, 2020, with the headline Over $360,000 raised online for victims, families. Subscribe