An 80-year-old woman is lucky to be alive after a massive tree crashed onto her home during Tropical Cyclone Vaianu, narrowly missing her as she sat inside.
Selina Tolua of Yako Village was sitting at the front doorway of her two-bedroom corrugated iron house when the tree trunk fell on Tuesday morning, destroying the house.
Speaking to this newspaper in Nadi yesterday, her daughter Sereana Vere said the family was still in shock after surviving the terrifying ordeal.
“We were really shocked,” she said.
“My mother, my three children and I were at home, and we could feel the strong winds.
“We really did not expect this incident to happen to us and thank God that no lives were taken when the oldest surviving tree in our village fell on our house.”
Ms Vere said the family endured nearly five hours in heavy rain and strong winds as Cyclone Vaianu battered the area.
Their home was destroyed, leaving them with nothing. The family is now seeking government assistance to rebuild their lives.
They are currently sheltering at the Yako Village Hall evacuation centre in Nadi. Ms Vere can be contacted on 2300532.
