Woman in Her 20s Arrested on Charges of Gross Negligence Arson and Involuntary Manslaughter
In Osan, Gyeonggi Province, a woman in her 20s caused a fire while attempting to kill cockroaches using a lighter and spray pain relief, resulting in the death of a woman in her 30s who was the mother of a two-month-old baby.
On the 21st, the Osan Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced that it had requested an arrest warrant for a woman in her 20s, identified as A, on charges of gross negligence arson and involuntary manslaughter. A is accused of causing a fire at around 5:35 a.m. the previous day in a second-floor unit of a five-story commercial residential building in Gwol-dong, Osan.
When the fire broke out, a woman in her 30s, identified as B, a Chinese national living on the fifth floor, tried to escape through a window but fell to the ground floor and sustained serious injuries. She was transported to a nearby hospital but ultimately died. It was reported that she first attempted to save her two-month-old baby with her husband.
Fire scene at a commercial residential building in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, on the morning of the 20th. Provided by Gyeonggi Fire Department
B opened the window and loudly called for help. A resident living on the same floor of the adjacent building received the baby and saved its life. B's husband also managed to escape by moving to the adjacent building through the window. The two buildings were reportedly located very close to each other.
The police believe that due to heavy smoke, B and her husband were unable to evacuate via the stairs and had no other choice but to attempt escape through the window.
Eight other residents were also injured, mainly from smoke inhalation, and are receiving hospital treatment, while 14 people managed to evacuate on their own. The building, with a total floor area of 940 square meters, houses a restaurant on the first floor and residential units (32 households) on the second to fifth floors.
On the 20th, a fire broke out in a commercial residential building in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, with smoke spreading out through the windows. As a result of this incident, a woman in her 30s living on the 5th floor died. Provided by Gyeonggi Province Fire and Disaster Headquarters.
It was found that A caused the fire by spraying pain relief spray while igniting a lighter, creating a "flamethrower" effect in an attempt to kill cockroaches. At the time, A was neither intoxicated nor under the influence of drugs, and is not known to have any mental illness.
A reportedly stated that she tried to kill cockroaches using a method she had seen on YouTube.
The police plan to investigate the detailed circumstances of the incident as soon as a decision is made regarding A's arrest.
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