Mother Wails for Daughter Who Died from Serious Burns
Isa luvequ, Mere (Oh my child, Mere). These were the words of Mereani Lotovavula inside her Waicoba Village home in Sigatoka yesterday following the death of her four-year-old daughter, Mere Ilisoni Laulau. Mere allegedly died from burns she sustained inside the bathroom of a two-bedroom house after it had caught fire at around 5pm on Monday.
She was the only child.
It is alleged that her father, Venieli Mociu, 32, was trying to light a fire for his wife, Mereani to cook dinner. They were using zoom fuel when it allegedly spread resulting in both, Mr Mociu and his daughter, Mere sustaining burns. Ms Lotovavula, 27, explained she was trying to light the firewood at first but failed and that was when her husband stepped in to assist.
The cooking area was located next to the bathroom where little Mere was in while taking a shower.
“My husband had poured the fuel into a cap and poured it onto the firewood, the fire was lit and the flames were so big it managed to get into the gallon of fuel Mr Mociu was holding. “The gallon blew near the bathroom area which then started to burn, my husband was also on fire,” she said. “He ran outside the house, everyone was crying for help and my daughter was inside the bathroom screaming for help too, she was saying ‘mum, dad take me out’. Mere’s uncle, Veniasi Ratu was among the many people who tried to help her out of the burning bathroom. “When the fire had gone down, we went to the bathroom to try and save her, when we opened the door, we saw that her eyes were closed and she was trying to feel the walls around her looking for the door to go out,” he said.
He said Mere was unconscious when she was transported with her father to Sigatoka Hospital. The pair were later transferred to the Lautoka Hospital where she passed away.
Last conversation:
Ms Lotovavula recalled the last conversation she had with her daughter before the alleged incident took place.
“She had asked her father for some loose coins to buy her chewing-gum that came with a sticker because she wanted to stick it on my hand,” she said. “My husband had also bought her a disc and told her before watching it, she must take a shower first.”
Mere was described as a jovial person who had dreams to become a nurse someday.
“She would usually gather with her friends in the village and play with the dolls pretending to be a nurse,” Ms Lotovavula added.
The family is yet to decide on her funeral date.
Mr Mociu remains admitted at the Lautoka Hospital.
Police investigations continue.