A grieving mother is seeking answers from her son’s employer following his tragic death at a work site in Suva. Anit Anitesh Ram, who lived in Vunivau and was employed by Energy Fiji Limited (EFL), reportedly suffered a fatal electrical shock while on duty on Tuesday.
His mother, Puspha Wati, received a call from EFL around 9:22 a.m. notifying her that Ram had been taken to Oceania Hospital after the incident. The Ram family is devastated by the loss of their only provider.
“I quickly tried to arrange a flight from Labasa to Suva to check on Anit’s condition, but after an hour, I received a call from my relatives informing me that he had passed away,” Ms. Wati recounted. She expressed frustration over her inability to reach her son’s supervisor numerous times and stated that she had not heard anything from the employer regarding the incident.
Ms. Wati insisted that her son would never have acted irresponsibly at work and is demanding clarity from EFL. “Usually, EFL is prompt about sending notifications regarding power outages, including on the same day my son died, when there was a power shutdown in Suva that cut a Parliament session short. Yet, when it comes to notifying families about the loss of their staff, they remain silent,” she charged.
An email sent to EFL requesting a comment on the incident did not receive a response by the time this article was prepared. Ms. Wati shared that Ram joined EFL in November of the previous year and had requested a transfer to be closer to his family.
“My husband and I are both ill, and recently Anit reassured us not to worry about anything, promising he would return soon,” the 45-year-old mother said. She added that on August 11, he celebrated his 26th birthday and had expressed his excitement about participating in the Labasa Sanatan soccer tournament during their last conversation a day before his death.
“We spent many years raising a child so he could have a good life and support us as we age, but now we have lost everything,” she lamented.
Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro confirmed that the victim was found unresponsive and is believed to have been electrocuted, although authorities will wait for the post-mortem results to determine the official cause of death.