A court in Gwangju has ordered the detention of a man in his 40s accused of setting fire to his apartment, a blaze that killed an elderly security guard and injured 13 other people. The Gwangju Northern Police said the court issued the warrant on November 14 after citing concern that the suspect could flee. Police are investigating the case as an intentional fire in an occupied residential building.
The fire began at about 6:33 p.m. on November 11 inside a sixth floor unit of a 21 story apartment building in Unam dong, in Gwangju’s Buk District. Investigators said the suspect used a lighter to ignite clothing. Firefighters extinguished the blaze about 30 minutes after it was reported, but smoke had already affected residents and emergency personnel elsewhere in the building.
Smoke carried the danger through the apartment building
A security guard in his 70s was found in cardiac arrest on a stair landing on the 13th floor. Reports said he had been checking the building and helping alert residents to evacuate after the fire began. He was taken to a hospital and received treatment but later died. The available evidence does not provide a medical finding that explains the precise cause of his collapse.
- Fire reported
- About 6:33 p.m. on November 11
- Origin
- A sixth floor apartment in Gwangju’s Buk District
- Reported casualties
- One person killed and 13 people injured
- Detention ordered
- November 14, based on concern the suspect could flee
Thirteen other people, including residents and rescue personnel, were treated after inhaling smoke or reporting dizziness. One account classified three of them as seriously injured and 10 as having minor injuries. Together with the guard’s death, the reported toll from the fire was 14 casualties.
Police initially sought the suspect’s detention on suspicion of causing injury by setting fire to an occupied building. Following the guard’s death, investigators said they planned to change the applicable allegation to the corresponding offense involving a death. That change reflects the fatal outcome reported after the initial arrest, rather than a new account of how the fire began.
The guard’s death changes the direction of the case
The suspect was taken into custody shortly after the fire. Police said he told investigators that he had started it while thinking of ending his life. They also said he had depression and had acted out of despair. Those statements describe the police account of the investigation; the supplied evidence does not include an independent medical assessment or a detailed explanation of what led to the alleged act.
At the Gwangju District Court, the suspect did not answer reporters who asked why he had set the fire or whether he had anything to say to the guard who died. After the detention hearing, he briefly said he was sorry when asked about the victims. The court subsequently approved the warrant because of concern that he might flee.
The case also has prompted discussion about formally recognizing the guard’s actions during the emergency. The local government was reported to be consulting relevant agencies about applying to have him designated as a person who died while acting for others. No decision on that possible designation was included in the evidence. Police, meanwhile, are expected to continue the investigation under the more serious allegation connected to the guard’s death.