Police and the National Fire Authority are investigating the circumstances surrounding a fire at Solovi, Nadi.

Businessman and owner Prem Chand claims he lost $500,000 worth of machinery after the fire completely destroyed his ice cubes manufacturing building on Friday.

Mr Chand said the fire affected his workers and customers.

“We were doing our normal deliveries and we supply ice cubes to restaurants, major supermarkets and hotels in Denarau,” he said.

“We loaded the ice at 1pm and we left. No one was in the house and I received a call from my wife that the building was on fire.

“Energy Fiji Limited said it was an electrical fault.

“We have been running this business for 20 years.

“We employed workers around the area and most of them have been working for quite long.

“We feel sorry for them because their income enables them to provide for their family and many of them came from a poor background.”

He said he was looking for options to get second-hand machines, but the main disadvantage for him is that his machines were not insured.

Edited by Epineri Vula

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