Family escape death by a whisker after arsonist sets house on fire

A family reportedly escaped death after their house was set ablaze by an unidentified criminal on Saturday night in Yambio, Western Equatoria State.

The attacker struck at night, when the couple and their children were asleep. It happened in Gangara Emilia South, in the southern parts of Yambio County.

“It is something funny; you cannot imagine someone can come and just set someone’s house on fire when the person is inside the room at night,” Ndukai Sebit, a neighbour of the victims, told The City Review. 

“It was not that the fire broke out of the room, but it was lit, although no one has been identified for committing such a crime,” Mr. Sebit added.

According to local media outlets in Yambio, the man whose house was torched was identified as William Lazarus.

The survivor, Lazarus, was quoted by local media as saying that he was deeply asleep and had no idea of the incident but thanked his wife for saving their lives by realizing the first break out. 

“I have no idea why someone set fire to my house; I just realized when my wife started screaming that the house was on fire; I don’t know how it happened, but I am sure someone did that,” Lazarus was quoted as saying.

The motive behind the burning remains unclear since no one has been arrested in connection with the incident. Authorities in Yambio are yet to give details on the incident.