Ram mourns neighbour’s death

In Narelere, Nasinu, residents of Seniwaiono Road helplessly watched as Umesh Bhechu's house was engulfed in flames, with the bedridden 47-year-old Umesh still inside. The fire, which occurred around 8 pm on Tuesday, brought immense grief to the local community.

Neighbor Radha Ram, 60, stated that she had been caring for Umesh like her own child, with other neighbors also helping by providing food and clothing. “I have been taking care of him for the past three years since he had a stroke, because no one from his family comes to see him,” she said. Ms. Ram remains heartbroken by the tragedy, recalling past times when she would scold Umesh for his stubbornness.

“I would clean his house, wash his clothes, and feed him, everything was fine,” Ms. Ram stated. “Sometimes I would fall sick looking after this big man. But the one thing I would always scold him for was smoking. He always had a lighter with him. He would smoke directly and throw the cigarette butts on the floor.” Ms. Ram said that when she went to check on Umesh on Tuesday morning, she noticed he had a lighter. She also mentioned, "There were times I would feel sorry for him and light candles for him because there was no electricity in his house."

That night, Ms. Ram was sleeping when she heard neighbors screaming. “We wanted to save him, but we could not do anything,” Ms. Ram stated. Police spokesperson Wame Bautolu said that the estimated cost of property damage was yet to be determined. “Police and the National Fire Authority are investigating the cause of the fire,” he added.