Waisea Nasokia and Arieta Vakasukawaqa
Nadi, Fiji, April 2, 2018
Tropical Cyclone Josie has claimed at least four lives and caused damages to property, before moving away from Fiji.
Flooding which followed torrential rain has Police searching for another in the Western Division yesterday.
Names of deceased
The deceased were confirmed as Shinal Mudaliar (25) and her father Veer Goundar (57), whose bodies were retrieved from Uciwai in Nadi; Saroj Lata (51), who was washed away outside her Vatulaulau home in Ba; and John David (55), who was washed away with his vehicle in Lautoka.
Another person, missing and believed to be dead is Ilaisa Nabou, a chef at Radisson Blu. Search for the 20-year-old continued last night.
Anniversary Plan destroyed
Damodar Mudaliar’s plan to celebrate his son’s first wedding anniversary this month was destroyed by Cyclone Josie.
The tragedy came after his daughter-in-law, Shinal Mudaliar was killed alongside her father Veer Gounder when the car they were in was swept away by strong currents while attempting to cross the flooded Tubarua Bridge in Uciwai, Nadi yesterday.
When the Fiji Sun arrived at the scene at around 12 pm, a team of Police officers and men from Uciwai Settlement retrieved Ms Mudaliar’s body from a mangrove swamp just 400 metres from where the car was found.
The Police continued their search until they retrieved Mr Gounder’s body at 4 pm.
The bodies are kept at Sigatoka Hospital awaiting autopsy.
Soccer player mourning
Shinal’s husband, 31-year-old Sandeep Mudaliar, refused to talk when approached for an interview at their family home in Uciwai Field Forty.
He was participating in a soccer tournament at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka and was originally planning to meet up with his wife in Nadi.
The couple were married in April last year and resided in Wailoku, Suva.
Damodar Mudaliar said that his daughter-in-law and her father spent the night at their home in Uciwai.
“They spent the night here because they had to pick up her brother from the airport this morning. They came all the way from Suva. I had requested them not to go because it was still dark and there was heavy rain, but they were excited to meet to that son,” he said.
At around 4 am, Damodar Mudaliar said they left for Nadi Airport.
Car drowned
“By 445 am, my daughter-in-law called me asking for help because they were stuck at the bridge, but by the time I reached there, I could not see their car because the bridge was underwater. I went to ask a few men to help me look for them. We managed to find the car just few metres away from the bridge, but nobody was inside. That’s when I reported the matter to Police,” he said.
Damodar Mudaliar said news of his daughter in-law’s death came as a shock.
“She was a humble and good woman. We loved her and treated her like our own daughter. I cannot describe the pain my son is going through right now and we were looking forward to celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary,” he said.
Ba family tragedy
For Jagdish Chand (50) of Vatulaulau, Ba, finding his wife Saroj Lata (51) was the only thing in his mind yesterday.
At around 630 am, Mr Chand, his wife and two sons set off to seek shelter as river waters beside his home were rising.
“We go out of our home; my elder son went to the pundit’s (priest) home to look for help. My younger son, my wife and I followed. We got stuck near an electricity pole due to the strong winds and all I could remember is that something hit me, and I was unconscious. I believe that my wife could not hold on for long and she went into the river. My younger son was helped by the priest and his family,” Mr Chand said.
When Fiji Sun spoke to Mr Chand, Police were still searching for his wife.
“I don’t know what happened. When I got up I could not see my wife, I just hope they find her.”
Ms Lata’s body was eventually found and she was confirmed dead.
Death in Lautoka
Acting Chief of Operations and Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Maretino Qiolevu confirmed that a 55-year-old was found dead in a river after his vehicle veered off the pavement in Drasa Avenue in Lautoka.
John David’s body was alleged to have been swept away by strong currents and was found yesterday afternoon.
A family in Sabeto, Nadi is morning the loss of their eldest son who was swept away in the current while trying to cross a flooded river in Sabeto yesterday.
The deceased is 20-year-old, Ilaisa Nabou, a Radisson Blu Resort chef at Denarau Island.
His father Costello Tabulawaki (51) held a picture of his eldest son and talked about what a good person Mr Nabou was.
“All three siblings went to the river and crossed the other side, but he failed to reach the other side. In the morning he worked about the house fixing the roof and other things. They decided to go for a swim and that was it,” he said.
Police Director Operations SSP Livai Dreu confirmed that the incident happened before mid-day. A search party made up of Police and villagers were busy searching for the victim’s body.
Police warning
A/ACP Qiolevu said that the deaths in the Western Division have been devastating and is calling on the Public to take heed of the warnings given out by the Police, the National Fire Authority, and the National Disaster Management Office.
The Fiji Police Force continued to monitor movements in all towns and shopping areas in the Western Division since last night.
Investigations teams were on stay by for any criminal activities.
Mr Qiolevu said that while there was a team on standby for assistance and rescue, Police would also continue to be on alert for those making using the adverse weather conditions in a negative way.
There were reports of break-ins in Ba, one of which was Vinod Patel store in Ba Town.
Indian Newslink has published the above Report and Pictures under a Special Agreement with Fiji Sun.
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Photo Caption:
- Damodar Mudaliar with a picture of his daughter-in-law as the family mourns
- Police Officers and helpers at Uciwai, Nadi near the car which drowned with Shinal Mudaliar
(Pictures by Arieta Vakasukawaqa)
- Picture of Shinal and Sandeep Mudaliar (Supplied)
