Blaze Leaves More Than 20 People Homeless
An eyewitness claimed the fire was set by a woman who was seen trying to make her escape when the fire started around 11am.
Monday 01 November 2021 | 15:49
Charred remains of five homes which were fully engulfed in a morning fire in Sakoca, Tamavua leaving 20 people homeless on October 31, 2021. Photo: Shalveen Chand
More than 20 people are homeless after a fire gutted through five homes in the Wrong Turn Road settlement in Sakoca, Tamavua yesterday morning; the destruction signalling a gloomy Diwali for the families.
An eyewitness claimed the fire was set by a woman who was seen trying to make her escape when the fire started around 11am.
The five homes clustered in the informal settlement were all destroyed. The sixth home was saved due to the direction of the wind and work of the National Fire Authority (NFA).
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Melted tanks and charred walls of the sixth home were evident of the intensity of the fire. Overhead, electrical lines were damaged disrupting power supply to the whole area and no indication of when it would be restored.
Neelam Yogita Datt and her family were at church when the fire occurred.
“We rushed back from the church to find our house gone. We have saved nothing. All our hard work has just gone with the fire,” she said.
Reginald Sami and his family lost all they had. For him this is a Diwali he would not forget easily.
Three of the five families were not at home when the fire happened.
The families affected all have relatives in the settlement and they would be staying with them until they are able to rebuild.
Mystery woman
Eyewitnesses gave an account of a woman in a yellow top and jeans leaving the last house belonging to a tenant named Apisai.
Arunesh Kumar said the occupants of that house had a drinking party on Saturday night and there was some commotion as glasses and bottles were broken. He said the lady of the house left on Saturday night after a fight and her husband, the homeowner, left the home on Sunday morning.
He said he was coming down the path to his house beside the house where the fire started when he ran into the woman, who had been living with the homeowner’s family.
“I saw smoke coming from the house and I asked her if she had started the fire. At this point, she tried to punch me,” he said.
“I managed to take a picture of her.”
Another Sakoca resident Shanil Prakash said he had gone to the house when the fire was just start- ing and managed to put it out, but to his surprise when he left, the fire had started again.
Police, NFA
Police and NFA have taken statements from the neighbours regarding the woman and investigations continue.
Residents also expressed concern that the area is faced with a water supply issue. Many believe that if water supply was normal, one or two homes could have been saved.
Feedback: shalveen.chand@fijisun.com.fj
