Explosion Follows Report of Gasoline Threat in Yangju Villa Fire, Leaving 7 Casualties

[Anchor]

A fire, presumed to be arson, broke out at a villa in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, leaving one resident dead. The fire led to an explosion, injuring six people, including police officers and firefighters dispatched to the scene.

Reporter Bae Seong-jae has the details.

[Reporter]

Bright red flames and thick black smoke billow from a third-floor window of the villa.

At around 1:20 p.m. yesterday (September 25), a 112 emergency call was received from a villa in Deokgye-dong, Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, stating, "A drunk resident appears to be spreading gasoline."

While police officers dispatched to the scene were evacuating residents and checking the situation on the third floor where the report originated, a sudden explosion erupted along with flames.

[Lee Su-ho / Nearby Resident: I heard a booming sound, and when I looked outside, a massive fire had broken out. There was a strong smell of gas and a lot of smoke rising...] firefighters quickly moved to extinguish the flames and also rescued police officers and residents who had climbed up to the rooftop to escape the fire.

Glass shattered by the impact of the explosion and debris from household items remain scattered around the building.

The third floor where the fire started and the fourth floor directly above it were completely charred.

The fire was put out after two hours, but the explosion that occurred during the blaze left six people with minor injuries: four police officers, one firefighter, and one resident.

A man in his 60s was found dead inside the home, and signs of arson were detected.

[Chae Sang-soon / Initial Reporter: The man was coming back after buying gasoline. He went upstairs, and a little later, the smell of gasoline started spreading everywhere.]

Police and fire authorities are focusing on the possibility of arson and are investigating the exact cause of the fire.

(Video reporting: Cho Chang-hyun, Video editing: Ahn Ye-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.