POLICE will investigate all aspects of the housefire in Nadi where three people including a two-year-old died in the early hours of Monday morning.
Police spokesperson Wame Bautolu said investigators were working on confirming the identity of the deceased family members.
“In such cases, Police will prioritise on the identity confirmation of the deceased through DNA tests,” said Mr Bautolu.
When questioned on whether investigators would also look into the possible fire being started from a neighbouring sugar cane farm, Mr Bautolu said they would look at all possible causes.
“On allegations on how the fire started, Police will look at all and investigate to determine the truth.”
The young family believed to have perished in the fire were Zakiya Ali, 25, her husband Zaiyad Ali, 29, and two-year-old son Hussein of Meigunyah.
Family of three perish in house fire
“I COULD not save her.”
A distraught Azhar Ali said this while reliving the final hours of his sister Zakiya Ali, 25, who died alongside her husband Zaiyad Ali, 29, and two-year-old son Hussein, in a house fire in Meigunyah, Nadi, yesterday.
He said his sister was still alive when he arrived at the five-bedroom property located near a sugar cane field where the fire was believed to have started.
“I live nearby and one of my cousins called me to come and help,” said Mr Ali.
“When I came, they were still trying to get my sister and her son out.
“She was asking us to break the windows to get her out.
“But unfortunately, they had gone into the bathroom.
“We did everything we could, but the fire was too strong.”
Mr Ali said he last spoke to his sister on Sunday.
“She wanted my help to move some things around the house.
“I told her I would come and help her.
“The last thing I asked her was if she was happy.
“I still can’t believe she’s gone.”
Mr Ali was joined by grieving family members, relatives and close friends who waited for hours for police forensic officers to retrieve the bodies of the young family. He said investigations should also be extended to the neighbouring farm where the fire allegedly started.
“I am asking the authorities to please look at how this fire started because we were told it started from the cane farm.
“My brother-in-law’s family had been helping stop the fire from spreading to their property on Sunday night.
“When they went to bed, everyone thought it had stopped.”
