A family of five has been left homeless after a fire completely destroyed their two-bedroom home in Rarawai, Ba, on Wednesday night. Manoj Kumar, a 55-year-old retired employee of the Fiji Sugar Corporation, watched in despair as the flames consumed the house where he has lived with his wife and three children for the past 50 years.
“The incident happened in an instant. I had gone to the TOTAL Service Station to pick up my son, wife, and daughter. When we returned, our home was engulfed in flames and there was nothing we could do,” Mr. Kumar recounted.
The fire broke out around 10:30 PM, while no one was home. “It was heartbreaking to stand there with just the clothes on our backs; everything else was lost in the blaze,” he added. Mr. Kumar, along with his wife and daughter, had been waiting at the service station for their elder son’s return from work.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire but have ruled out electrical faults. “We know the fire began in one of the rooms. This house has been part of our family for 50 years, and now we have nothing left except a few clothes,” he said. The family is now seeking temporary shelter at a relative’s home in Rarawai.
Mr. Kumar appealed for financial support to help rebuild their house, along with assistance for food and clothing. Efforts to reach the National Fire Authority’s chief executive officer, Puamau Sowane, for comments went unanswered. Members of the public wishing to assist Mr. Kumar’s family can contact him directly at 9953371.