On the night of the 18th, around 11:10 PM, a fire broke out in an apartment in Ssangmun-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul. The fire was completely extinguished within about an hour. Following the incident, the police implemented a voluntary accompaniment measure with a male resident in his 40s relating to the fire.
According to the police and fire department, Seoul Dobong Police Station took action against a man, identified as Mr. A, on suspicion of illegal fire starting. Mr. A was reportedly loitering around the scene at the time of the fire on the 11th floor of the 15-story apartment building.
Mr. A has been changing his statements regarding the cause of the fire, at times claiming he or someone else started it. The police have noted that he is showing signs of delirium and have taken measures for emergency hospitalization.
A police representative mentioned that the investigation is ongoing and they plan to examine possibilities of arson after conducting a site inspection.
As a result of the fire, 170 residents had to evacuate. The firefighting effort included 110 personnel and 32 vehicles, who managed to fully contain the fire by 12:13 AM on the 19th. During the incident, one firefighter sustained minor injuries and the property damage has been estimated at 45.71 million won.