A couple from Matawalu Village, near Lautoka, who went looking for mango picking on Thursday morning were greeted by a sight they will never forget.

The couple, Sanaila Bula, 27, along with his wife, Lusi Marakiwai, identified the body of a woman lying outside her car after it had rolled down a cliff in Teidamu, Lautoka on Wednesday.

Ms Marakiwai said she left home at around 5.30am and as she approached the spot where the incident happened, she noticed three men standing at the edge of the cliff and looking towards the ground.

“We left home looking for mangoes to make our pickles,” she said.

“On our way my husband saw three men standing on the cliff and looking down.

“When we arrived, we saw the car was at the bottom of the cliff and the woman was lying a few metres away from it.

“He immediately went down to check whether she was still alive or dead, he checked for her pulse but couldn’t find any and that was when I had called the Police.

“He checked inside the car to see if anyone else was with her, but she was alone.”

She said the engine of the car and the lights were still on.

Teidamu resident, Keshew Prasad, 59, said the incident happened between 7.30pm and 8pm.

“I went around 6.15am to check what happened, I saw a body lying there and stayed far away,” he said.

Another resident, Mahendra Prasad, 65, said because he was a heart patient, he couldn’t walk down to see what the loud bang was.

“Last week a vehicle had hit a cow at the same spot and when we heard the loud bang last night (Wednesday night) we thought it was just another vehicle that had done the same,” he said.

As of yesterday afternoon, Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro they had identified the body but did not wish to make further comments as investigations continue.

Post-mortem examination is yet to be done.

Ms Naisoro said the forensics and a team of investigators were still at the scene when this edition went to press.

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