Wailoku landslide

Two families from Vataleka Village in Wailoku escaped tragedy as a landslide threatened their home.

House owner Mosese Logaviri, absent during the incident recounted that only his wife and children were present but managed a swift response due to the daytime occurrence.

“This is the first time this has happened (landslide) and so I am worried that if there’s another landslide then my house will be destroyed.”

With the impending Cyclone Mal and the precarious weather in Fiji, Logaviri expressed concern about the vulnerability of homes in the village to landslides emphasizing the urgent need for addressing this issue.

Seeking refuge in a cousin’s home, Logaviri and his family grapple with the looming threat.

“As you can see, majority of our homes are situated on the hill and so it is now very risky to build new homes year and there is also an urgent need to relocate homes.”

Adjacent to Vataleka lies Marata Village, confronting similar dangers of landslides and floods.

Village Headman Sanidaoni Toroirauna highlighted the recurrent flooding during heavy rains.

“Some houses are situated on the hill and so I have advised them to move to the village hall because of the possibility of landslides, they are at risk. Yesterday, we had two landslides, one happened near the village cemetery and the other from a hill and the stones and soil from the landslide went straight into the pig’s pen and some pigs were killed.”

Today, Toroirauna urged villagers to proactively secure their homes and consider relocating to the village hall for shelter if required.

Stressing the seriousness of Cyclone Mal’s warning, he emphasized the imperative for Fijians to prepare for the worst, underlining the gravity of the situation.