Police confirmed on Tuesday that an arson attack targeted a Chinese family’s home in Paphos, sending six people to hospital including an elderly man who jumped from a first-floor balcony.
The fire was deliberately set on the front veranda of the two-storey house before spreading to the living room, Paphos Assistant Police Director Michalis Nicolaou said.
A 74-year-old man suffered spinal and leg fractures after jumping from the balcony in panic, whilst a 40-year-old woman and her eight-year-old daughter sustained minor burns, Nicolaou said.
A 12-year-old boy was transferred to Makarios Hospital in Nicosia with serious respiratory problems, while two other family members were treated for smoke inhalation. All except the elderly man, who remains in Paphos Hospital, have been discharged.
The incident occurred around 3 a.m. when all six residents were sleeping upstairs. The victims included the Chinese property owners, aged 42 and 40, their two children aged 12 and 8, and the husband’s parents, aged 74 and 72.
Fire Service spokesman Andreas Kettis said three fire engines responded to the blaze. “Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus contained the fire, which started outside the house in an area with no flammable materials,” Kettis said.
The residents evacuated before the fire spread, though some were injured while escaping from the first floor, he added.
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