A 60-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday after setting fire to a sawmill on the night of June 19 in Carapito, Trancoso. Upon leaving the scene, he fell into a well and was rescued hours later.
He had “a conflict with his employer, for reasons beyond the employer’s control,” and used accelerants to ignite “multiple fire sources in the sawmill, which progressed and completely destroyed the facility,” detailed the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) in a statement available to Notícias ao Minuto on Thursday.
As he was departing, the man fell into a well, where he was found hours later by a patrol from the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR), which took charge of the situation.
The man was rescued and transported to the São Teotónio Hospital – ULS of Viseu Dão-Lafões, where he remained hospitalized.
He was detained after being discharged from the hospital and will now face a preliminary judicial hearing for the application of preventive measures.
Authorities reported an “undetermined property damage amounting to several tens of thousands of euros.”
The inquiry is led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Guarda.
