Sanjay Veerwal with his wife, Neha Bhati, and son. Photo: Supplied
An insurance body is warning migrant households to understand New Zealand's insurance landscape after members of a Remuera household lost everything in a massive fire last week.
An Indian family and two flat mates living in the same property that was destroyed in a fierce blaze in the early hours of 30 October did not have contents insurance.
Contents insurance provides financial protection for personal possessions in the event of unexpected damage, loss or theft.
Awareness of contents insurance was generally lower among migrant communities in New Zealand, a spokesperson from the Insurance Council of New Zealand said.
"This can stem from factors such as limited information about how insurance works in New Zealand, language or cultural barriers, and different experiences with insurance in other countries," the spokesperson said.
"It means you won't have to replace everything out of your own pocket," the spokesperson said.
"Whether you rent or own your home, it's about protecting what's important to you and being prepared for risks you can't control."
Fire and Emergency services told RNZ last week the home was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, with nine crews battling the blaze at its peak.
The fire happened shortly after 1am on Thursday. Photo: Nina Guan / Supplied
Resident Sanjay Veerwal said his family and tenants were incredibly lucky to have made it out of the property alive.
"If we were one or two minutes later, I wouldn't be talking to you now," Veerwal said.
Originally from the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan, the family had lived in the house for more than three years.
The fire destroyed everything the family owned aside from their car and a mobile phone Veerwal grabbed before fleeing.
"All our furniture, clothes, important documents like passports, certificates - everything is gone," he said.
"I'll probably need around $50,000 to buy everything that we lost."
Veerwal did not possess a contents insurance policy to cover the loss.
The family was grateful to the community for donating clothes and other household items.
"The Indian community and the wider community have been incredibly supportive, helping us with clothes, finding housing and connecting us with people who can assist," he said. "We are truly grateful."
The Consulate General of India was in the process of replacing their lost passports, he said.
The family had been staying in temporary accommodation provided by their son's school while Veerwal searched for a new home, he said.
He said the fire had taken a toll on his family's mental health, with his 7-year-old son particularly affected.
"He has been asking for his toys and has been very quiet since the event," he said.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson told RNZ the investigation had been completed, but the cause of the fire remained undetermined. Photo: Supplied
Veerwal's wife, Neha Bhati, said the regular fire drills she participated in as part of her work as an early childhood education teacher helped her escape the burning building.
"I recommend everyone get some basic fire drill training," Bhati said. "You never know what's going to happen."
Flat mate Lakshay Gulati, who had been living in the house since February, was the first to raise the alarm.
"I smelt something weird and saw a big flame," he said.
A chef at Novotel Ellerslie, Gulati moved from Punjab to New Zealand nine years ago to study.
Gulati also lost almost everything in the blaze but managed to save his phone and passport.
"I lost all my other things, including bank cards, work documents and everything I'd bought for my trip to India in a couple of months," he said.
Lakshay Gulati has been living in the house since February. Photo: Supplied
Gulati also didn't have contents insurance that covered his possessions, estimating his losses at around $8000.
"I wasn't even aware of such insurance," he said. "I feel blessed that I am still standing on my two feet."
Gulati said it was tough to put the ordeal behind him.
"My girlfriend tells me that I keep murmuring during my sleep and wake up a lot of times at night," he said.
Another flat mate, Akul Layal, said the experience was shocking because he had only moved in two days before the blaze.
Originally from Delhi and having recently moved from Canada, Layal also lost everything in the blaze.
"All my important documents - my passport and certificates from my studies - are gone," he said, noting that he had also lost a car that had been parked near the house.
Layal planned to go to his sister's home in Christchurch to recover.
"I need a break," he said. "It was a very traumatizing event."
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson told RNZ the investigation had been completed, but the cause of the fire remained undetermined.
"Structural damage from the fire made it too dangerous for investigators to enter the building," the spokesperson said.
Two Givealittle pages have been created by community members to support the survivors.
