The residents of a small farming community outside Labasa Town are still in shock following an alleged suicide of the owner of a home that was razed early yesterday.

Police Spokesperson Ana Naisoro said it was still too early to conclude the cause of the fire and death at Kulukulu, Waiqele as a post-mortem was yet to be conducted and investigations continued.

“We are working together with the National Fire Authority to establish what had caused the fire and the death of the 45-year-old man who owns the house,” Ms Naisoro said.

It is understood that the incident occurred late on Thursday night and the victim is believed to be Kamal Deo. One of the residents, Taiyab Hussain said that they had heard the deceased calling earlier that evening that he wanted to drink kava with them.

“He called three times, and we were waiting. After a while, my brother went out to go to his house but before he reached Mr Deo’s home, he could see the fire,” Mr Hussein said.

Mr Hussein said that was when they all ran out of the house to the scene of the incident and by the time they got there, they saw that the fire had spread into the house from the porch.

He said they looked for Mr Deo but could not find him at first, later they saw his motionless body hanging from a mango tree by his driveway.

“He was a very good man and he lived alone. We socialised well and he was there when we need him and vice versa,” Mr Hussein said.

“We are still very much shocked that this has happened.”

Mr Hussein’s home is about a hundred metres away from Mr Kamal, with sugarcane fields separating their homes.

Mr Deo’s nephew, Savneel Deo, said his uncle’s divorce case was ongoing and on that particular evening his uncle had called him.

“He called to say that he was going to burn his house and also kill himself, and this was just moments before we saw fire from his house,” he said.

Mr Deo, who lives up on a hill overlooking his uncle’s house said; “When I ran out and I could see the fire.”

And as he made it down to the scene, which is about a 25 minute walk away, he prayed that his uncle was safe.

“When I reached his house, there were other people there and the  three bedroom corrugated iron and timber house was engulfed in flames,” he said.

Mr Deo is survived with a daughter and had separated from his wife three years ago.

National Fire Authority, in a statement, confirmed that investigations were underway.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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