A South Korean woman has sparked national outrage after she accidentally set her apartment building on fire while attempting to kill a cockroach, resulting in the death of a mother attempting to save her baby.
A young woman in a residential apartment in Osan used a makeshift flamethrower, combining a lighter and a flammable spray, to burn a cockroach. However, the flames quickly spread out of control, engulfing the apartment and burning throughout the building, according to the BBC.
A Chinese national in her thirties tragically lost her life after she fell through a window in an attempt to escape, as the flames and thick smoke blocked other routes.
The woman, living on the fifth floor, handed her two-month-old baby out of the window to a neighbour in the adjacent block.
While her husband managed to climb across to safety, the woman fell while attempting to follow. She was rushed to the hospital but died due to her injuries hours later.
The building, which houses commercial units on the ground floor and over 30 residential units above, also left multiple residents affected. At least eight people suffered from smoke inhalation due to the blaze.
Police have stated that they plan to seek an arrest warrant for the woman responsible, on charges of causing death by negligence and starting a fire.
Blasting cockroaches with homemade flamethrowers has emerged as a novel way of getting rid of house pests, made popular by videos on social media.
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