Suspect in two arson attacks detained in Seoul — Korea Herald

In Seoul, South Korea, police detained a man aged between 70 and 79 on suspicion of deliberately setting fire to two buildings in the Gangnam district. Nineteen people were injured in the fires, Korea Herald reports.

Two fires in seven minutes

According to police, the first fire broke out at about 11:54 a.m. on the third floor of the Shinmyeong building in the Yeoksam-dong neighborhood. Seven minutes later, at approximately 12:01 p.m., another fire occurred on the fourth floor of the Hanyang building, located about 200 meters away. The two premises are patent law offices.

Initially, fire services said they had not established a connection between the two fires. However, they received a report that someone may have deliberately started the fire. Police later detained a man suspected of involvement in both fires.

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Injured people and evacuation

In the Shinmyeong building, a patent attorney was found in a state of cardiac arrest in a corridor and taken to hospital. Another 10 people were injured there, while about 60 people evacuated on their own. Eight people were injured in the Hanyang building, three of whom suffered severe breathing problems.

Firefighters declared a first-level response, deploying 115 personnel and 56 pieces of equipment. The fire in the Hanyang building was extinguished at around 12:35 p.m., while the blaze at Shinmyeong was fully brought under control at about 2:20 p.m. The suspect was detained near Dongmyo subway station in the Jongno district at about 4:16 p.m. and taken to the Suseo police station for questioning. According to police, he fled via Subway Line 1.

Law enforcement officers are investigating the circumstances of the fires, including whether sprinkler systems operated in the buildings.