A family of five has become homeless after their two-bedroom house was destroyed in a fire in Rarawai, Ba, on Wednesday night. Manoj Kumar, a 55-year-old retired employee of Fiji Sugar Corporation, could only watch helplessly as the flames engulfed the home he shared with his wife and three children for the past 50 years.
The incident occurred around 10:30 PM while Mr. Kumar was away picking up family members from a service station. “It happened really quickly; when we returned, our house was on fire and we could not save anything,” he recounted.
At the time of the fire, no one was inside the house. “It was devastating to be standing there with only the clothes on your back; everything else was gone,” Mr. Kumar explained. He had gone to Nadi with his wife and daughter and returned to the service station to wait for his older son after he finished work.
The fire reportedly started in one of the rooms, and while police are investigating the cause, initial findings indicate it was not due to an electrical fault. “It’s a family house where we have lived for 50 years. We’ve lost everything, except for a few clothes,” Mr. Kumar said. Currently, the family is staying temporarily at a relative’s home in Rarawai.
Mr. Kumar has expressed the need for financial assistance to help rebuild their home, along with food and clothing. Calls made to the National Fire Authority’s chief executive officer, Puamau Sowane, went unanswered. Members of the public who wish to assist Mr. Kumar’s family can reach him directly at 9953371.