A family of five has been left homeless following a fire that completely destroyed their two-bedroom house in Rarawai, Ba, on Wednesday night. Manoj Kumar, 55, a retired employee of the Fiji Sugar Corporation, watched helplessly as the blaze consumed the home he had lived in with his wife and three children for the past 50 years.
“It happened really quickly. I had gone to the TOTAL Service Station to pick up my son, wife, and daughter; when we returned, our house was on fire, and we couldn’t save anything,” Mr. Kumar recounted. The incident occurred around 10:30 PM when no one was home. “It was devastating to stand there with only the clothes on our backs; everything else was lost in the fire,” he added.
On the night of the fire, Mr. Kumar was in Nadi with his wife and daughter, waiting at the service station for his elder son to finish work. He explained that he was alone throughout the day prior to the incident.
The fire reportedly began in one of the rooms, but authorities are still investigating its cause. Mr. Kumar stated that it is confirmed the fire was not caused by an electrical fault. “It’s a family house; we have lived there for 50 years. Now we have nothing at all, just a few clothes; everything else was destroyed,” he expressed.
Currently, the family is temporarily staying with relatives in Rarawai. Mr. Kumar is seeking financial assistance to rebuild their home and support with food and clothing. Efforts to reach the chief executive officer of the National Fire Authority, Puamau Sowane, for comment were unsuccessful. Those wishing to assist Mr. Kumar’s family can reach him directly at 9953371.