A woman in South Korea is facing criminal charges after setting fire to her apartment building while attempting to kill a cockroach with an improvised flamethrower, resulting in the death of her neighbor.
The fire broke out around 5:30 a.m. on Monday, October 20, after the woman used a lighter and a flammable spray to burn the cockroach inside her apartment.
Police have issued an arrest warrant for the woman, who is in her 20s, describing her as a flight risk. She admitted that she had used this method before.
The fire quickly spread through the building, forcing several residents to attempt escape through windows.
The victim, a woman who had recently given birth, and her husband opened a window and called for help, passing their baby to a neighbor.
The husband managed to leap to a neighboring building, but the new mother fell five stories while trying to do the same.
She was taken to the hospital but later died.
One other neighbor also died attempting to escape through a window, while eight residents suffered minor injuries from smoke inhalation.
Police continue to investigate, and the case will be transferred to local prosecutors once the investigation is complete.
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