A three-month-old baby in Ra and a 47-year-old man in Labasa died tragically in the wake of Cyclone Yasa on Thursday night.

A report from the National Disaster Management Office confirmed:

Baby Timoci Tiqara died after the wall of a classroom fell on him at Vunikavikaloa Arya Primary School in Nalawa, Ra;

Ramesh Chand of Lovelove, outside Labasa Town died when parts of the floor of his house flew and landed on his back.

Baby Timoci of Nalawa, Ra

At the evacuation centre yesterday, Baby Timoci’s mother, Iliseva Tinai, said the incident happened so fast.

The family were taking shelter at Vunikavikaloa Arya Primary School.

“I only picked him up to move from where we were when the wall partition fell on us,” Iliseva Tinai said.

“I had just fed the baby when my older sister suggested we move from where we were for comfort.

“I tried to cover the baby hoping the wall would fall on my back but unfortunately it hit him on the head.

“That was how strong the winds were.”

When she picked up her son she noticed his swollen head and asked her sister to massage him.

“He started breathing as soon as my sister started massaging him.”

The 18-year-old mother said it was quite challenging trying to get any help because the roads to Rakiraki Town were flooded.

“We called the ambulance but they said they couldn’t come because of the floods. It took a while to find transport to rush him to the hospital.

“As soon as we got there the doctor put him on oxygen.

“Suddenly the power went off.”

She claimed that’s when he slowly struggled to breathe. When the power came back on it was too late.

“The doctor tried to revive him but it was too late.”

Ms Tinai said baby Timoci was a very easy child to look after. He only cried when he was hungry or in pain.

The same family lost their one-year-old son in October from a horse-riding incident.

It is alleged one of their relatives, a 17-year-old, who was riding the horse, came close to the toddler.

It is alleged the horse kicked the child and he died. The incident happened at Nawaicoba, Nadi.

Mr Chand of Lovelove, Labasa

Mr Chand, 45, was inside his seven-bedroom house with his wife, Rup Lata and two son, Sham Chand and Shahil Chand.

Sham was in tears when he recalled the last moments with their father.

The family of four were in their home. His father said he’d keep watch overnight as the winds and rains from Cyclone Yasa raged on.

“My father mixed a basin of grog. He invited me to drink gro with him,” he said.

“When he passed a bowl to me, the floor of the passage flew and landed on my father’s back and he fell on my leg

“A piece of wood also fell on me and I got stuck. My father died on the spot.”

Sham said his mother has been crying since and did not want to talk to anyone.

At 6am yesterday, the brothers moved the lifeless body of their father and called for relevant authority assistance.

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