Three families in Korovou Town, Tailevu, are now homeless after their flats were destroyed in an early morning fire yesterday.

The flats were connected to the Shop N Gain Supermarket and Bakery, including the 360 Events Warehouse.

The families who rented the flats belonging to one Ahmed Musa, who now resides in New Zealand, watched helplessly as firefighters battled the blaze.

Daya Wati, 49, has been renting in one of the flats with her three children for the past seven years.

She said: “It was between 6am to 6.30am while I was having breakfast with my children, we first heard the ‘bang’ sound and then one of my sons quickly went to see what happened.”

Ms Wati said her son saw that one of the shops was on fire.

“Leaving everything behind, we ran out of our house.

“I was not able to save all of our belongings. Everything was completely destroyed in the fire,” she said.

Ms Wati, who paid $175 monthly rent, said she was grateful that her family was safe.

Couple, Pritika Lata and Suresh Kumar, who have been living in one of the three flats for the past 10 years managed to save some of their belongings.

“It was between 6am to 6.30am when I went to say goodbye to my husband who was about to leave for work, when we heard a loud sound.

“When my husband looked back, the Shop N Gain Supermarket and bakery was on fire.

“Before, the fire reached our flat, we managed to save some of our belongings,” she said.

“I have no idea where to go now.

“We have been paying $75 rent per month,” she said.

Ashika Lata has been living in the third flat alone for the last two years. She said she was still sleeping when awoken up by a relative.

She quickly ran out of her flat, only to find the building next to theirs up in smoke.

Ms Lata said some neighbours helped her save her belongings.

When the Fiji Sun team arrived at the fire scene around 8.15am, the homeless tenants were sitting in a tent, helplessly watching their destroyed homes.

Edited by Caroline Ratucadra 

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