PREM Wati was inconsolable yesterday after her four-bedroom house at Johnson Rd, Lautoka, was destroyed in a fire on Christmas Day.

Ms Lata, who shares the property with her former husband Durga Prasad, could not contain her tears as she grieved over her family’s loss.

“My sweat and my hard work are all gone,” she said as she saw the burnt remains of the house yesterday.

“I spent so much with my children on this house and now there’s nothing.”

Ms Lata was with her daughter in Lovu when she received the news.

Mr Prasad spent Christmas with his daughter’s family in Lovu when the fire broke out at about 8pm.

His son-in-law Mohammed Salim Khan said they received a call on Monday night from neighbours who witnessed the blaze.

“In the morning I came to take my father-in-law to spend Christmas with us,” he said.

“Before leaving we made sure that everything was switched off and we didn’t use any stoves because all of the cooking was done at home. My father-in-law lost everything. He was living alone and had built this house himself.

“This is my wife’s family home and it’s very sad for us to see it gone.

“He lost almost $90,000 in this fire.”

He said hardware supplies from a Government grant the family received for Tropical Cyclone Winston relief was also destroyed in the fire.

Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said the cause of the blaze was not known as investigations continued.

She said a second incident occurred in Votualevu, Nadi, where a businessman’s property was partly burnt by fire.

She said damage to the house which consisted of four flats was estimated at $50,000.