The Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, has paid a visit to the family of Samuela Sigatokacake, the worker who died from serious burns after an industrial accident at the Lautoka Sugar Mill.
Accompanied by the Executive Chairman of the Fiji Sugar Corporation, Abdul Khan, the Prime Minister presented the Government’s reguregu to Samuela’s wife, Una, their five children and the rest of his family.
Also present was the Permanent Secretary for Sugar, Lieutenant Colonel Manasa Vaniqi, the Acting Commissioner Western Luke Moroivalu and a delegation of senior military officers and department heads in the Western Division.
The Prime Minister expressed his sorrow and that of the Government at the death of Samuela, 44, who was from Waya island in the Yasawas. He said the entire sugar fraternity and the whole of Government joined Samuela’s family in mourning him. His passing was especially sad because he was the family’s sole breadwinner.
Samuela Sigatokacake died four days after he suffered burns to 60 per cent of his body when a boiler containing hot water collapsed on him. The incident has led to a review of safety procedures at the Lautoka Mill.
Today, the Prime Minister and his party visited the site of the accident to see for himself what had happened and stress the need for a thorough solution to prevent a similar accident from happening again.
The Lautoka Mill has been closed while repairs are made to the equipment and mill engineers are working around the clock to fix the problem.
The FSC is hoping that crushing can begin again soon and in the meantime, all cane harvested in the catchment area of the Lautoka Mill is being transported to Rarawai Mill in Ba for crushing.
MINFO