Residents of 8 Miles River-Road in Narere are reeling after floodwaters inundated their homes, destroying most of their possessions and leaving them with little more than the clothes on their backs.
The incident transpired around 2 am this morning and the flooding persisted until about 6 am.
One victim, 60-year-old Ram Chandra, who has lived in the River-Road settlement for more than 20 years, stated that he had never experienced anything like this before.
“Nothing was left because the floodwaters took everything. This is the first time something like this has happened. In the past, floodwaters used to come, but never this high,” he said.
Another resident, Mohammed Dean, who moved to the settlement six months ago, expressed his disbelief at the events. He was the one who helped save Chandra’s family when floodwaters entered their home.
“I woke up early this morning to my neighbors screaming, thinking they were fighting. But as soon as I looked over, I saw the water already halfway into their house. I was able to help them get over to my house by climbing on an old fridge I found near here because my house is a bit higher than theirs,” Dean recounted.
Concerned for his family’s safety in case of future flooding, Dean is appealing to the government for assistance in building a new home.
“I need the government to help me build a new house because the one we’re staying in might not be able to withstand another flood like this. Also, this isn’t my house,” he stated.
These families are among the few affected by the heavy rainfall currently impacting Suva.