At about 1am yesterday, arsonists set on fire the front door of the home of Hamrun mayor Luciano Busuttil, who lives in St Catherine Street, Marsaxlokk, and also his car.

Speaking to The Malta Independent, Dr Busuttil said that at around 1am his wife heard a sound like hailstones beating on the window. After switching on the lights, he noticed smoke billowing in from outside, then the lights suddenly went out and he had to find a way of getting his wife and six-month old baby son out of the house.

Dr Busuttil fetched a bucket of water in a bid to prevent further smoke from rushing in when he opened the door. Once he was outside, Dr Busuttil said, he realised that his car, which was parked in front of the house, was also on fire. Fortunately, neighbours had already noticed what was happening and were dousing the car with water. Helped by his neighbours, Dr Busuttil tried to put out the fire, which was finally extinguished by Civil Protection Department personnel who arrived within minutes of being alerted by Dr Busuttil.

Dr Busuttil’s wife and their baby were taken to St Luke’s hospital by ambulance, suffering from shock and smoke inhalation.

The car was considerably damaged by the blaze, caused by a car tyre which was set on fire underneath it. The front door and entrance of the house were also badly damaged.

Duty magistrate Dr Miriam Hayman was informed about the case and appointed court experts to assist her with a magisterial inquiry. Further police investigations are underway.

Dr Busuttil said he did not have a clue about who might have been responsible. However, he did not believe that the arson attack was linked to his position as Hamrun mayor. The attack could be connected to his profession as a lawyer and could have been carried out during the campaign for Saturday’s local elections in order to mislead investigations, he said.

Justice and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg and Police Commissioner John Rizzo both visited the site yesterday morning, both condemning the arson and expressing solidarity with the Busuttil family.

Malta Labour Party leader Dr Alfred Sant and general secretary Jason Micallef also visited Dr Busuttil and his family. Also expressing his solidarity with the Busuttil family, Dr Sant condemned the act and said that all people, regardless of their political creed, should condemn such attacks.

Malta Labour Party home affairs spokesman Gavin Gulia also condemned the attack and encouraged Dr Busuttil to carry on with his political and professional careers.

A number of political and civil organisations also showed solidarity with Dr Busuttil and his family and condemned the arson attack. The Hamrun, Marsaxlokk, Paola, Santa Venera and Qormi local councils expressed solidarity with Dr Busuttil and his family. Marsaxlokk mayor Edric Micallef also condemned the arson and encouraged residents to cooperate with the investigators.

Local Councils Association president Michael Cohen condemned the act and expressed appreciation for the work mayors and councillors did for the good of their community.

Nationalist Party College of Councillors president Malcolm Mifsud urged the authorities and the police to do their utmost in order to apprehend the culprits, describing the arson attack as “a senseless act”

The Chamber of Advocates also expressed indignation at the arson attack and offered solidarity.