Police save granny from rising waters
Aknock on the door saved an 86-yearold bed ridden grandmother and a family of 10 from flash flooding which hit Vulovi in Labasa at 6am yesterday.
Her daughter-in-law, Paulini Dikisi, who is the owner of a double storey house, said she was thankful to a team of Police officers who knocked at their door and said they came to rescue them.
“At that moment I thanked the Lord for saving my household,” said Mrs Dikisi, the mother of three children living with her extended family.
“From 1am gusty winds, thunderstorm and heavy rain began and by 3am my compound was flooded.
“I watched how the water entered the ground floor and gradually rising.
“I grew worried from 1am thinking whether we will survive or not and how we will manage to save my elderly mother-in-law Sereima Divavani.”
The 47-year-old said if it wasn’t for the Police officers they would not have survived. “We have been experiencing flood over the years and the two most critical flooding that put our lives at risk was in 2002 and then in 2016 during Tropical Cyclone Winston,” she said.
“After that experience we always had fear in our hearts and we couldn’t be more thankful when we saw Police officers.”
“The officers provided transport to take us to Shiri Guru Nanak Khalsa College which was the first evacuation centre activated. “They even helped carry my mother-in-law inside the school room.
“My mother-law has been bed ridden because she can’t walk.”
They were among the 30 families from Vulovi and Naodamu transported by the task force to the centre after their houses were flooded between 3am to 5am. Northern Divisional Police Commander (DPC) Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Verani Nakauyaca said they began operation before midnight and officers have been stationed at various locations maintaining safety of the public and assisting in evacuation.