Retired school teacher charred to death while clearing farmland

PALA: In a tragic incident, a 70-year-old retired teacher was charred to death while setting fire to agricultural land at Poovathodu on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased has been identified as Baby Sebastian.

Locals noticed flames and thick smoke rising from the property at around 2 pm and immediately alerted the Fire and Rescue Services. A fire force team from Pala rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control. While dousing the fire, firefighters discovered Baby Sebastian’s charred body in the field.

He had reportedly reached the farm around 9 am for routine agricultural work. The fire is suspected to have broken out while he was clearing the land. Baby Sebastian had retired from St. Dominic’s High School and later devoted his time to farming. He used to visit the farm daily from his nearby residence.

He is survived by his wife Daisy, daughter Sonia, and son-in-law Albert Phoenix. The funeral will be held at 4 pm on Wednesday at the cemetery of St. Thomas Church.