An inquest in Neiafu today determined that a 46-year-old woman died from smoke inhalation and severe burning in a house fire at Neiafu yesterday.

Tonga Police have named the victim as Tu’imala Uinisē Moala.

Her husband escaped the inferno by jumping from the rooftop.

Police investigations of the fire, reported from Neiafu, Vava’u at around 5:00 am on, 8 November 2022 concluded with a formal inquest at 10 am today, 9 November.

The inquest was chaired by the District Officer of Neiafu and attended by a family member of the deceased as well as members of the community.

“Based on the doctor’s report and evidence of witnesses, the deceased, 46-year-old Tu’imala Uinisē Moala died from smoke inhalation and very severe burning,” the Police stated.

The deceased and her husband were tenants of the multi-storey wooden house owned by Joseph Ramanlal.

“At around midnight on Monday, 7 November, they went to bed on the third floor of the house only to be awakened by a loud cracking sound from downstairs. When they opened their bedroom door, the flames had already engulfed the building, leaving them no way out but to tear down another door and climb to the rooftop. From the rooftop, they tried and jumped to the deck on the second floor,” the Police stated.

“In trying to escape the extreme flames, the husband held his wife’s hand so that they could jump down to the ground, but she let go of his hand because she was too terrified to jump. When the husband reached the ground, he called out for help and a male neighbour rushed over with a ladder but unfortunately, it was too short to reach the second floor. Both the husband and the male neighbour urged her to jump, and they would catch her, but she refused as she was confused, panicked, and terrified, and in the end, the fire caught up with her.”

The origin of the blaze is still unknown due to the extreme damage caused by the fire to the house.

The funeral was held today in Vava‘u.