5-Year-Old Boy Dies During Funeral
This is the first case of drowning in the past two weeks.
Friday 30 October 2020 | 11:39
Meli Yasawa with his wife Lusiana Tuiraloga showing a photo of their son, Mitieli Namuka at their home in Natoaika Village Photo: Shalveen Chand. Inset: Mitieli Namuka.
Sounds of people wailing filled the air around Natoaika Village in Naitasiri yesterday as the body of five-year-old Mitieli Namuka was shown to relatives.
This is the first case of drowning in the past two weeks. The last drowning case was on October 12, 2020, where a three-year-old child from Nakorotubu, Ra, drowned in a container of water.
On Wednesday, Mitieli, also known as ‘Miti’, had allegedly slipped and fell into the Rewa River as the villagers, including Miti’s mother and father, were attending a funeral.
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The village of Natoaika sits on the banks of the Rewa River.
Villagers stood by the riverbank to watch the Police officers transport the body of Mitieli Namuka across the river to the mortuary in Wainibokasi. Photo: Shalveen Chand
The boy’s father, Meli Yasawa, 35, was distraught, but he held himself together.
“God gave him to us and now God has taken him away from us,” Mr Yasawa said.
“There was a funeral in the village yesterday (Wednesday). We were attending the funeral.
“Miti was playing with other children. His mother came running to me saying Miti was missing. We asked around and were informed that he had slipped into the river from the small jetty.”
Mr Yasawa and relatives spent the entire day and night searching for Miti’s body.
Mr Yasawa and his family had moved to his wife’s village, Natoaika two months ago. Until then, the family was staying in Lautoka where Mr Yasawa was working.
Police will conduct an autopsy examination today.
The current drowning toll is 35 compared to 29 for the same period last year.
Edited by Naisa Koroi
Feedback: shalveen.chand@fijisun.com.fj
