KOCHI: Unidentified miscreants set fire to a house near Carmel School, Valappu, Vypeen, in the early hours of Tuesday. The house, owned by Johnson, a resident of Vypeen and a wholesale distributor for Jyothi Labs, was charred in the incident. At the time of the attack, Johnson, his wife, daughter, and mother were inside the house, but fortunately, they escaped unhurt.
Johnson said that the attack occurred around 12.45 am on Tuesday. “I noticed a strong chemical smell while I was asleep. When I got out of bed and placed my feet on the floor, I slipped due to a liquid substance.
As soon as I smelled it, I realised it was petrol or something similar. Just then, I saw a burning firewood stick being thrown into the room by the attackers, instantly igniting the floor,” he said.
The chemical fumes made him dizzy. “I couldn’t escape on my own, but my wife and daughter managed to pull me out,” he recounted.