The car that was damaged in the incident.
KUCHING: Two men suffered burn injuries when a family squabble over a car turned fiery at Kampung Stenggang, Bau last night.
During the incident, a 19 year-old suspect was adamant to drive his father’s car despite being disallowed to do so by the latter.
“The suspect’s brother, a 26 year-old and his 25 year-old brother-in-law also refused to hand him the car keys which caused the suspect to allegedly utter threats of burning and bombing the car,” said Bau District police chief DSP Poge Nyaon in a statement today.
The suspect then left the house and soon returned with a flammable liquid inside a gas canister.
He proceeded to douse the car, the house walls and the front gates with the flammable liquid and began to ignite it with a lighter.
Realising his actions, both the brother and the brother-in-law sprang into action and tried to stop the suspect, but they too were doused with the flammable liquid.
“As both victims were standing next to the car, the fire soon spread to their bodies causing burn injuries to the brother’s head, abdomen and both of his arms and legs. The brother-in-law only suffered burns to his left leg,” said Poge.
A call to the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) was made by their younger sister for assistance.
The commotion have also attracted other villagers who helped to extinguish the flames.
“The suspect then fled the scene on a motorcycle,” said Poge, adding that the case will be investigated under Section 326 of the Penal Code, Section 506 of the Penal Code and Section 7 of the Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958.