A journey filled with anticipation and love turned into unimaginable heartbreak on Wednesday when an elderly couple travelling to reunite with their children in Australia lost their lives in a horrific four-vehicle crash at Vakabalea, Navua.
A family member said Kaminieli Matadradra, 70, and his wife Setaita, 67, were due to board a flight from Nadi today, carrying with them the excitement of seeing family they had longed to embrace. Instead, their loved ones are now preparing for a funeral instead of a joyful reunion.
Police said the vehicle carrying the couple crossed into the opposite lane, triggering a collision involving four vehicles.
The National Fire Authority (NFA) said emergency crews responded within minutes but found the couple had died at the scene. Two other people, including a pregnant woman, were injured and taken to the Navua Hospital.
As grief ripples through two families and across communities, NFA’s chief executive officer Puamau Sowane pleaded with motorists to make safety their priority.
“No journey is worth risking a life,” he said, urging drivers to slow down, remain alert and exercise patience on the roads. The tragedy has pushed Fiji’s road death toll to 31 this year, a painful reminder that in an instant, a long-awaited family reunion can become a lifetime of loss.
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