Arsonist Who Set Fire Out of a Desire to Die Arrested... One Dead

A man in his 40s who set fire to the apartment building he lived in, killing one person and injuring 13, has been detained. Gwangju Bukbu Police Station said on the 15th that it had arrested Mr. A on charges of setting fire to an occupied building (arson of an occupied building causing injury). Mr. A is accused of setting fire to a sixth-floor unit of the 21-story apartment where he lived in Unam-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, at around 6:33 p.m. on the 11th, saying he "wanted to die." Mr. A, who has a history of treatment for depression, told investigators during questioning that he had set the fire because he wanted to die.

The fire was extinguished within 30 minutes. Casualties followed afterward. A security guard in his 70s who was helping residents evacuate was found in cardiac arrest and died three days later while receiving hospital treatment. Thirteen others, including rescue workers and neighbors, also received hospital treatment for smoke inhalation or dizziness.

The Gwangju District Court issued the arrest warrant requested by police on the 14th after holding a pre-detention suspect hearing (warrant validity review) for Mr. A. Mr. A attended the hearing held at the Gwangju District Court on the 14th. Wearing a hat pulled low and covering his face with a mask, he did not answer reporters' questions about why he had set the fire. However, while being transported to a police vehicle after the hearing, he said he was "sorry" to the victims.

With the death of the security guard, adjusting the charges became inevitable. Police plan to change the charges against Mr. A from arson causing injury to arson of an occupied building causing death. Buk-gu District plans to discuss with Gwangju Jeonnam Integrated Special City the filing of an application to designate the security guard, who died while helping residents evacuate from the fire scene, as a person of distinguished service.