A family of five has been left homeless following a devastating fire that completely destroyed their two-bedroom home in Rarawai, Ba, on Wednesday night. Manoj Kumar, a 55-year-old retired employee of the Fiji Sugar Corporation, experienced the loss firsthand as he could only watch in despair while flames consumed the house where he has lived with his wife and three children for the past 50 years.
“It happened very quickly. I went to the TOTAL Service Station to pick up my son, wife, and daughter, and when we returned, our home was engulfed in flames. We were unable to save anything,” Mr. Kumar recounted.
The fire broke out around 10:30 PM while no one was at home. He described the experience as devastating, noting, “It was hard to stand there with only the clothes on our backs; everything else was lost in the fire.” Mr. Kumar, along with his wife and daughter, had gone to Nadi and returned to the service station to wait for their elder son to finish work when the fire occurred.
According to Mr. Kumar, the fire began in one of the rooms, and while investigations are still ongoing, authorities believe it was not caused by an electrical fault. “This is our family home; we have lived here for 50 years. We now have nothing left but a few clothing items—everything else has been destroyed,” he expressed. The family is currently seeking shelter at a relative’s house in Rarawai.
Mr. Kumar is appealing for financial support to help rebuild their home, as well as assistance with food and clothing. Efforts to contact the chief executive officer of the National Fire Authority, Puamau Sowane, have so far gone unanswered. Those who wish to help Mr. Kumar’s family can reach him directly at 9953371.