Suspected Arson Using Pesticide Sprayer Filled with Fuel
Suicide Note Found at Home: "Please Take Care of Mother"
A fire suspected to be arson broke out in Bongcheon-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, resulting in one death and six injuries. The prime suspect has been identified as a man in his 60s who was found dead at the scene, having perished in the fire.
Fire authorities responded to a report at 8:17 a.m. stating that black smoke and explosions were observed. The fire was completely extinguished after one hour and forty minutes.
As a result of the fire, one man was found dead in the fourth-floor hallway. Two women, one an 81-year-old resident of the fourth floor and the other believed to be in her 70s or 80s, suffered severe burns and fell from the fourth floor to the first floor. Four residents aged between their 50s and 80s, who inhaled smoke or experienced breathing difficulties, were also transported to the hospital.
Earlier, at 8:04 a.m., police received a report from a villa 1.5 kilometers away from the apartment, stating that a man was using a flamethrower. The man's motorcycle was later found in the parking lot of the apartment where the fire occurred, leading police to identify him as the prime suspect.
The police suspect that the man filled an agricultural pesticide sprayer with fuel and set the apartment on fire. While tracking the suspect, they confirmed that the fingerprints of the body found burned at the scene matched those of the suspect.
A suicide note was found at the man's residence, reportedly addressed to his daughter, asking her to take care of her mother. According to police, 50,000 won was enclosed with instructions to use it for the mother's hospital expenses.
The police are currently investigating the exact motive behind the crime.
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