Two elderly siblings who lost their Sabeto, Nadi, homes to a fire on Saturday are pleading for assistance to put a roof over their heads.
Anil Prakash and Sarojini Devi said they lost everything except for the clothes on their back.
“I brought my goats back from grazing and was lying down inside the house when at around 6.30pm, I saw the glass windows starting to shatter as the strong flames made their way inside the house,” said Mr Prakash.
The 60-year-old said the fire was further fuelled by strong winds and the flames quickly spread from his three-bedroom house to his sister’s adjacent property.
“I have lost all my belongings amassed over the years and even my hand got slightly burnt as I made my way outside the house.”
Ms Devi, who is living with a disability, said it would be impossible for them to rebuild their home without public support.
“I am entirely dependent on the monthly social welfare money that I receive,” she said.
“My brother is completely dependent on his children for his living.
“He also lost a flat he rented out to the fire.”
She said the estimated cost of damage to her four-bedroom concrete home would be around $170,000 while her brother’s estimated loss would be around $150,000.
Police spokeswoman Ana Naisoro said a report of the house fire was received at the Sabeto Police Station whereby two houses were completely engulfed in fire along with their contents.
