Landslide takes house, almost takes wife

FIJI – A Fijian man defied danger and bravely pulled his wife to safety as a landslide destroyed their house on Thursday.

An emotional Ronald Chand said his wife would have been dead if he had not jumped to pull her back.

Relaying his story to the Fiji Times, Chand said it was about 2.00pm when he decided to secure his house in Tacirua East, outside Suva, after hearing about a looming cyclone.

“My five-month-old baby was at my neighbour’s place and my wife and I decided to secure the house,” he said.

Chand said he was standing outside the house with a rope when he told his wife, Riteshni, to grab some nails and a hammer from inside.

“As soon as my wife walked towards the door to go inside the house, I saw the side of the house moving.

“I did not care about my life but shouted and jumped to grab her top and pulled her towards me.”

“She would have been crushed to death. It was just a matter of seconds and I am so happy that she is alive.”

Riteshni, 32, said she had no words to describe how her husband saved her from the collapsing house.

“All I know is that he shouted and pulled my top. The house was gone by the time I got up,” she said.

Their two-bedroom house, including all their belongings, were destroyed in the landslide that happened as a result of torrential rain.

Mrs Chand said the family had no house to shelter and nowhere to go.

“I don’t know what to do. My husband, who is a mechanic, is the breadwinner in the family.

“We need help to rebuild our house as soon as possible. We want the government to help us,” she said. - Fiji Times