Family watches as morning blaze destroys home
Kamruk Angel Taxis and Tours director Horish Arunesh Gounder said the fire started from the back of the car at around 7am.
Saturday 11 May 2019 | 09:45
From left: Meena Gounder, Rukmani Gounder, Horish Gounder, Shevaned Kumar, Aritik Gounder and Kamal Gounder at Nacovi, Nadi on May 10, 2019. Photo: Mereleki Nai
A family of five at Nacovi, Nadi could not hold back their emotions as they sat helplessly watching their four-bedroom house burn in an early morning blaze yesterday.
Kamruk Angel Taxis and Tours director Horish Arunesh Gounder said the fire started from the back of the car at around 7am.
The 27-year-old director said he was about to leave home for work when his brother, Artik Gounder alerted him about the fire.
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“I was ready about to go for work when the fire started from the back of the car, from my taxi,” he said.
“My brother told me that there was a fire from the back of the car I had no idea what caused the fire.”
He added the taxi was the main source of income for the family.
“I wanted to save the car and part of the house, but I couldn’t because the fire was too much.”
He said the family had been living there since 2004.
They could not save any items, only themselves.
Mr Gounder said the cost of damage was estimated to be around $35,000 to $40,000.
He added the family would be living with a relative who resides a few metres away from their house.
The National Fire Authority (NFA) confirmed the fire that destroyed the four-bedroom house yesterday morning, which started from the Hybrid vehicle parked outside the house.
NFA said the firefighters arrived at the scene at 8.03am and would continue investigations into the blaze.
Edited by Percy Kean
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