A woman in South Korea is facing criminal charges after she allegedly caused a deadly apartment fire while trying to kill a cockroach using a makeshift flamethrower.
Police in Osan, a city about 30 miles south of Seoul, said they have issued an arrest warrant for the woman, who is in her 20s, describing her as “a flight risk,” according to People.
The blaze reportedly began around 5:30 a.m. on Monday, October 20, when the woman attempted to burn a cockroach using a lighter and a flammable spray inside her apartment. The fire quickly spread through the building, forcing several residents to flee for their lives.
Authorities told Yonhap News Agency that the woman will likely be charged with causing death by negligence after accidentally starting the fire.
According to BBC News, which also reported the incident on Tuesday, October 21, the woman admitted she had “tried to torch the cockroach with a lighter and a flammable spray,” adding that she had used the same method before.
Investigators said the fire spread rapidly, trapping residents inside. The victim, a Chinese woman in her 30s, had recently given birth to her first child two months earlier.
When smoke filled her fifth-floor apartment, she and her husband reportedly opened a window and called for help. They managed to pass their baby to a neighbour in an adjacent building. The husband successfully jumped across to safety, but when the woman tried to follow, she fell five stories and suffered fatal injuries.
She was rushed to hospital but later died. Eight other residents sustained minor injuries from smoke inhalation, police confirmed.
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Authorities in Osan said the investigation remains ongoing and that the case will be handed over to local prosecutors once completed.
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Source:Africa Publicity
