A 19-year-old man while recalling the fire at Tamasua street off Nailuva road in Suva last night says they had tried to assist the elderly couple.

The fire which started around 10pm last night has claimed the lives of a 79-year-old man and his 74-year- old wife.

The National Fire Authority says the fire started at around 10pm and when a team arrived at the scene, they found the top flat of a double-storey concrete house fully engulfed in flames.

The elderly couple were occupying the top flat while the tenants were staying in the bottom flat.

The eyewitness who wishes to remain anonymous says he was at his home when he saw the fire.

“We came down to save the two, so when we reached there the wife came outside the porch yelling for help, we went right on top, we wanted to open the gate but the gate couldn’t open so she ran back inside for the husband.”

The eyewitness says the fire had spread to the top floor very quickly.

Meanwhile, NFA and Police are conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.