Woman Accidentally Kills Neighbour While Trying To Burn Cockroach In South Korea Apartment

A bizarre incident in South Korea has sparked national attention after a woman accidentally set her apartment building on fire while attempting to kill a cockroach. The fire, which broke out in the city of Osan, resulted in the death of a neighbour and left several others injured. According to BBC, the woman in her 20s used a makeshift flamethrower (combining a lighter and a flammable spray) to burn the insect. However, the flames quickly spread to household items, sparking a fire that engulfed the apartment and spread through the building.

Tragically, a woman in her 30s, a Chinese national living on the fifth floor with her husband and two-month-old baby, lost her life in the fire. As the flames and thick smoke blocked escape routes, the couple handed their baby out of the window to a neighbour in the adjacent block.

While the 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. 

Similar Incidents

Notably, videos on social media have popularised extreme methods of killing cockroaches, including using blowtorches or homemade flamethrowers. However, these methods can be hazardous, as seen in incidents where people have caused fires or explosions while trying to eliminate cockroaches.

In 2018, an Australian man set his kitchen on fire with a homemade flamethrower. In another incident in 2023, a Japanese man inadvertently blew up his apartment while trying to kill a cockroach with excessive insecticide. The incident occurred when the 54-year-old man spotted a cockroach inside his apartment in Kumamoto's Chuo Ward. Disgusted by the sight of it, he sprayed a massive amount of insecticide to try and kill it.

An explosion occurred just about a minute later, blowing out a balcony window. According to the police, the resident suffered a minor injury in the blast.