A second house in Vunivau, Labasa was completely destroyed by fire yesterday, marking the second incident in just one month. The owner, Mohammed Irshad, was away in Suva for work when the blaze ignited. His wife and their two children were at home but managed to escape without injury.
Mr. Irshad, 31, expressed his disbelief after receiving the alarming news from his wife. “It happened between 7am and 7:30am,” he said. He added that he would be returning home soon to arrange for temporary housing until they could gather the necessary funds to rebuild.
As a lorry driver, Irshad had lived in the three-bedroom house for eight years. While he was uncertain about the total extent of the damage, he mentioned that it had taken years to accumulate their household belongings.
The National Fire Authority dispatched two fire trucks and nine personnel from the Labasa Fire Station to the location after an emergency call was made. Divisional Police Commander North, Senior Superintendent of Police Kemueli Baledrokadroka, noted that an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire, which remains unknown.