“Thank you, Mum, for everything you do for me.”
Those were the last words spoken by Eliki Delai, a Year 9 student who tragically died after being run over by a bus in Davota, Tavua, according to his mother, Eleni Vua. She shared with fijivillage News that her son woke her at 5 a.m. that morning to get ready for school. Vua vividly remembered those final moments, as he urged her to help him prepare before the bus arrived at 7:20 a.m. on that fateful day.
Overcome with emotion, Vua recalled her son’s parting words of gratitude, expressing that it felt as though he somehow knew he wouldn’t be coming back, which deepens her pain.
Eliki, the second eldest and the only son among Vua’s three children, was her pillar of support at home. Originally from Ra, Vua described her son as a kind-hearted boy who was always willing to help others.
In response to the incident, Minister for Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau has instructed the Land Transport Authority to conduct a thorough investigation and implement measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Police reported that Eliki had been traveling on a bus from Waikubukubu to Tavua Town. After disembarking at a designated stop to allow other passengers to get off, he reportedly ran after the moving bus, slipped, and was tragically run over.
