On May 31, a subway arson occurred in Seoul, South Korea. A 67-year-old man suddenly poured gasoline on a moving train and set it on fire, injuring 6 people. Today, he was charged by the prosecutors with attempted murder and other crimes. The prosecutors released surveillance footage showing that the fire and smoke instantly engulfed the carriage, and the pregnant woman even slipped when she escaped, which made people sweat.
Seoul prosecutors said that the suspect surnamed Yuan poured gasoline in the carriage when the subway Line 5 train passed through Yeouinaru to Mapo Station at around 8:42 am. He was suspected of attempting to kill 160 passengers including himself. As many as 129 people were treated on the spot, and the estimated property loss exceeded 300 million won (about 6.52 million Taiwan dollars).
The prosecutors released the train surveillance footage, showing that the suspect put down his backpack in the carriage and poured gasoline. The surrounding passengers ran away, and even a pregnant woman accidentally slipped. The carriage immediately burst into flames, and the passengers in the next carriage also fled. Soon after, the carriage was filled with smoke.
A passenger recalled that the scene was like a disaster movie. Seeing the carriage filled with fire and smoke in an instant, he thought his time had come.
The suspect was arrested at the subway station shortly after committing the crime. Oil cans, flashlights and other tools were found on him. The prosecutor said that he decided to commit suicide because he was dissatisfied with the divorce lawsuit and wanted to attract attention. He was formally charged with attempted murder, arson and violation of the Railway Safety Act.
