Midnight Hotel Fire: Owner Suspected of Arson; Family Members Injured While Trying to Stop Him

A fire, suspected to have been set by the hotel owner, broke out at a hotel in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, in the middle of the night, leaving three people injured and forcing dozens of guests to evacuate.

According to the Jeonbuk State Fire Service and other authorities on Wednesday (June 24), the fire started at a hotel in Songcheon-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, at 5:16 a.m. today.

The fire left three people—the hotel owner, a man in his 70s identified as A, his wife, and his son—with burn injuries, and they were transported to a hospital.

At the time, 45 guests were staying in 30 of the hotel's 36 rooms. All of them managed to evacuate, preventing a larger tragedy.

Fire authorities reported that the blaze was quickly extinguished as the sprinkler system activated.

Police suspect that A, who was intoxicated, poured flammable substances in the hotel lobby, elevator, and parking lot before setting them on fire.

It is reported that his wife and son were injured when the flames spread to them while they were attempting to stop him.

The police have booked A, who was transferred to a hospital in the Daejeon area with full-body burns, on charges including arson of an inhabited building resulting in injury. They plan to investigate the exact motive for the crime once he has received treatment.

A police official stated, "The suspect is severely injured and unable to provide a statement," adding, "Based on testimonies from those around him, we currently believe the fire was caused by the owner's arson."

(Photo: Provided by Jeonbuk State Fire Service, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.