A family of five has lost their home after a fire completely destroyed their two-bedroom house in Rarawai, Ba, on Wednesday night. Manoj Kumar, a 55-year-old retired employee of the Fiji Sugar Corporation, found himself helpless as he watched the flames consume the residence where he and his family had lived for the past 50 years.
“It all happened so fast. I went to the TOTAL Service Station to pick up my wife, son, and daughter, only to return and find our house on fire. We couldn’t save anything,” Mr. Kumar recounted.
The incident occurred around 10:30 PM while no one was at home. Mr. Kumar described the experience as devastating, noting, “It’s heartbreaking to stand there with just the clothes on your back; everything else is gone.” He emphasized that he had been alone at home that day while waiting for his older son to finish work.
The fire is believed to have started in one of the rooms, and police are currently investigating the cause, ruling out electrical faults. Mr. Kumar expressed the significant loss, stating, “It’s a family home; we’ve lived there for 50 years. Now we have nothing except a few clothes.”
The family is temporarily residing with relatives in Rarawai while seeking assistance for rebuilding their home and acquiring food and clothing. Mr. Kumar has reached out for help, saying, “We need financial support to rebuild and some basic necessities.” Efforts to contact Puamau Sowane, the chief executive officer of the National Fire Authority, have so far gone unanswered.
Members of the community interested in helping Mr. Kumar’s family can reach him directly at 9953371.