Heavy rain causes flooding, landslides
Edward Shankar says he is lucky to be alive after a major landslide at Dilkusha Road in Nausori yesterday afternoon missed him by a couple of metres.
Mr Shankar was selling watermelons by the roadside near the same spot he had been doing his sales for the past four years and remembers hearing a loud sound coming from near where he stood.
“I heard a loud boom and trees crashing down when I turned around I saw the hill coming down, I was shocked and ran for my life,” he said.
“I have never experienced something like this ever before in my life and I am happy to be alive.”
Police officers at the site told Sun News that the cause of the landslide was the continuous heavy rainfall in the area.
The landslide caused a traffic jam for commuters using the Nausori to Suva corridor through Princes Road.
The landslide also forced two cars down the slope. No one was injured. The Fiji Meteorology Service reported that a heavy rain warning remained in force for the Lau, Lomaiviti Group and Viti Levu. Heavy rains caused flooding across Nausori Town and nearby communities.
Mr Shankar said the landslide would be an unforgettable memory for him as he now understands what the effects of climate change is all about.
“I will never forget the events that unfolded today because it was a narrow escape for me and it reminds us of the dangers natural disasters pose time and again.”