A 47-year-old father of two, Mesake Lalai, died while attempting to assist a man in retrieving belongings from his burning house in Nadroumai Village, Nadroga, on Monday afternoon. Lalai reportedly collapsed in the home as he was trying to salvage items from one of the rooms.
The residence belongs to the Methodist Church and is occupied by Paula Labalabala, a steward of the church. Labalabala expressed that Lalai’s dedication to the church and the community was immeasurable, stating, “He lost his life in an act of love. He tried to save some of the belongings… he always gave his best for the church. He would be the first person to give his input in the works of the church or the vanua.”
According to police spokesperson Ana Naisoro, Lalai was transported to Sigatoka Hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. She mentioned that investigations are ongoing and a post-mortem examination will be carried out to determine the cause of death. Naisoro also highlighted that there have been multiple fire incidents reported recently, urging property owners to consistently check for fire hazards in and around their homes.
Lalai is survived by his wife, Unaisi, and their two children. His eldest son, Mitieli Navure, plays rugby for the Ratu Kadavulevu School Under 14 team, which is scheduled to play this Saturday at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva. His funeral is set for next week.