Who Will My Children Call Mum?

Distraught and in a daze, a father contemplates how his children will cope without their mother who was killed in a horror accident in Ba on Monday morning.

“Who will my children call mother,” Sani Lal, 57, of Korovutu, in Ba said with tears.

He was still trying to fathom the loss of his partner. Shaleshni Narayan, 45, died instantly in the accident after the vehicle she was travelling in veered off the road near Moto, in Ba.

Mr Lal said the vehicle was returning from a prayer session.

“She worked as a caregiver for a man who had a stroke. She was a good lady and we have been together for the past 26 years. She always looked after us, including the children.

“We last spoke on Saturday where she said she will come home on Monday after we meet in town to do the shopping. I was really looking forward to it, but it was short-lived when I received the bad news at 6 am in the morning.”

Their youngest children are aged 14, 10, and eight. Between them, they have six children and the rest are from their previous marriages.

Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said: “The victim was a passenger in a van driven by a 39-year-old man and was heading towards Yalalevu when he allegedly lost control of the vehicle.”

Nine other passengers were in the vehicle, including four children aged 10, eight, five, and four.

“All nine passengers received serious injuries and are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital. The driver is admitted at the Ba Mission Hospital in stable condition. Investigations continue,” said Ms Naisoro.

The road death toll currently stands at two compared to 12 for the same period last year.

Edited by Naisa Koroi

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