29-year-old dies in Labasa tramline incident
Post-mortem examination to be conducted as circumstances surrounding death remain under investigation
Tuesday 18 August 2026 | 08:30
Updated 18 August 2026 | 11:56 FJT
Left: A relative, Deo Lingam Pillay, pointing to the accident scene in Labasa on August 17, 2026. Inset: The deceased’s vehicle found at Vuo in Labasa.
Photos: Shratika Naidu
A 29-year-old man died in an incident along the Vuo tramline in Labasa early yesterday morning, with Police questioning a locomotive driver and co-driver as investigations continue.
The man, Navneet Pillay of Vunika, Labasa, had left home with his two siblings for an outing last Sunday.
His father, Deo Nadan Pillay, said he received a call from Police at around 6am informing him that his son had been found dead on the tramline.
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“We found his car abandoned about two kilometres from our house,” Mr Pillay said.
“We are assuming that he was making his way home by walking along the tramline as we always cross the tramline to reach home.”
The father of three children said Police informed him that Navneet had suffered injuries to his head.
“This is not the first time a life has been lost because of the negligence of locomotive drivers,” he said.
“We only urge them to be vigilant while driving because they have the ability to control their speed while on the job.”
Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said the victim allegedly lost his life following an unfortunate accident along the Vou tramline on Monday morning.
She said the circumstances surrounding the incident were still under investigation.
“Police have questioned the 58-year-old locomotive driver and his co-driver as investigations continue,” Ms Naisoro said.
“A post mortem examination will be conducted to ascertain cause of death.”
When contacted, Fiji Sugar Corporation chief executive officer Bhan Pratap Singh advised contacting the Labasa Police Station on the matter.
In an email response, he stated that FSC was not in a position to provide any comments at the moment.
