[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 surge 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, reporting that "a drunken resident appears to be pouring gasoline."

While police officers dispatched to the scene were evacuating residents and checking the situation on the third floor where the report originated, an explosion suddenly occurred, followed by towering flames.

[Lee Su-ho / Nearby Resident: I heard a booming sound and looked outside to see a massive fire. There was a strong smell of gas and a lot of smoke rising...]=

Firefighters immediately began extinguishing the fire and rescued police officers and residents who had fled to the rooftop to escape the flames.

Glass shattered by 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 followed during the blaze left six people with minor injuries, including 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 came back after buying gasoline. He went upstairs, and shortly after, 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 footage by Cho Chang-hyun | Video editing by Ahn Ye-jin)