Woman, 34, who died in Kovan stabbing, had 3 children, came from Vietnam to work here

The 34-year-old woman who died following a knife attack at a Kovan hardware shop reportedly came to Singapore from Vietnam to work, and was married with three young children.

The employee of the Quan Long Nippon Paint hardware store at Block 210 Hougang Street 21 died of her injuries in hospital after allegedly being stabbed several times by a man at the store on Dec. 10.

The 42-year-old man has been arrested for murder.

Deceased from Vietnam, had three children

The deceased was identified as Dao Thi Hong, 34, a Vietnamese national with three young children, Lianhe Zaobao and The Straits Times reported.

Zaobao reported that two of Dao's friends were seen burning incense for her on Dec. 11 behind the store, which was shuttered at the time.

One friend, Sally, said Dao was from Hanoi and moved to Singapore for work five years ago.

Sally said Dao was married with three young children.

Her eldest is a teenage daughter, while her youngest is a seven-year-old girl.

Another friend, Rina, told Zaobao that Dao was a kind person, and many residents in the area knew her and would greet her warmly.

A Vietnamese fruit seller working nearby, who gave his name as Ah Zai, told ST that Dao has two daughters and a son, and came to Singapore to provide for her family and her parents.

“We would sometimes chat over meals in the area. She was a good person and was nice to us,” Ah Zai said.

Sally said Dao's family has made plans to fly to Singapore on Dec. 11 to find out more about the matter and bring her home, Zaobao reported.

Her husband was intending to travel to Singapore as well, but could not secure a passport in time.

Sally and Ah Zai said they did not know the suspect, ST reported.

Zaobao reported that it understood that Quan Long is currently assisting the police in their investigations, and is also helping to arrange for Dao's family to come to Singapore and handle her funeral.

Background

The altercation took place at the Quan Long Nippon Paint hardware store at Block 210 Hougang Street 21, near Kovan Market and Food Centre on Dec. 10.

The alleged assailant, reportedly a former shop employee, argued with a female employee before pulling out a knife and waving it around.

He allegedly chased after the woman and slashed her six to seven times until she appeared unconscious, according to witnesses.

A store manager was also injured with cut wounds while trying to stop the attack, reported Lianhe Zaobao.

All three involved parties — including the alleged knifeman, who suffered injuries in the attack — were later conveyed to hospital.

Preliminary investigations revealed that all parties knew each other, SPF said.

The man was charged with murder on Dec. 12, 2024.

The offence of murder carries the death penalty.

Top image from Lianhe Zaobao