Cost of damages due to fire worth $600,000 – Value City

Value City has estimated that they have suffered a loss of about $600,000 because of the fire that destroyed their Rodwell Road, Suva store.

Company Managing Director Vera Chute says they are thankful that all 12 of their staff and the Flea Market vendors are safe.

She says they will relocate their staff to other Value City branches.

Chute adds they have lost a substantial amount of stock and other items which were imported from Australia and New Zealand.

She says the management will be in discussion in the coming weeks, with a hope of opening another branch in the City.

Meanwhile, the National Fire Authority believes that the fire that also destroyed parts of Suva Flea Market had started from a restaurant at the Flea Market and had spread to handicraft stalls within the market and Value City.

They say about 7 restaurants and handicraft stalls have been destroyed at Flea Market.

They say highly flammable sources like oil and gas in the restaurant and wooden craft in the handicraft stalls contributed to fast spread of the fire to other parts of the building. A joint investigation between the Fiji Police Force and the NFA has begun to ascertain the cause of the fire.