Widow Loses Home, Belongings in Fire

The dream of celebrating Christmas with her visually impaired daughter, and son was tarnished in hours when a fire destroyed her home at Navua on Saturday.

Widow, Tara Wati, 58, of Wainividio Settlement is reeling in shock after their two flats and her three bedroom home which were estimated to have cost $70,000 was burnt to ground.

“I was in town shopping with my visually impaired daughter when a taxi driver told me that there was a fire at my home,” said Ms Wati.

Ms Wati lives with her son, who was working in Suva during the time of the fire.

Her daughter has just come over to spend Christmas with the family.

Ms Wati said she took pre-cautionary measures in the safety of the dwellings be-fore they left for shopping in town.

“I remember very clearly that I switched-off almost all the electrical switch be-fore leaving for shopping,” she said.

“I always switch off all electrical switches. My daughter, Devika Nandani, is visiting us for Christmas and she could not see.”

She could not save any belonging because the dwellings were engulfed in flames when they arrived at the fire scene.

“I lost all my belongings and my son’s vehicle in the fire. We’re now only left with what we are wearing,” she said.

“My immediate concern is the roof over her children’s head.

“We were planning a family Christmas this year and so happy that my daughter was visiting us, but now everything is gone, and I don’t know what to do.”

A family has taken them in while they finalise their next step.

Ms Wati is seeking assistance to rebuild a temporary home on the site soon.

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