• A woman set her building on fire in South Korea while attempting to kill a cockroach, resulting in her neighbor’s death
• The fire injured eight people with smoke inhalation and blocked escape routes; police are investigating negligence charges

South Korean police said they are seeking an arrest warrant for a woman in her twenties after she caused a deadly fire in a residential building in Osan, northern South Korea.

The blaze led to the death of her neighbor, who fell from a window while trying to escape the flames.

According to local reports, the fire started when the woman attempted to kill a cockroach in her apartment using a lighter and flammable spray, igniting her belongings and rapidly spreading the fire throughout the building.

Authorities confirmed that the victim, a Chinese woman in her thirties, lived on the fifth floor with her husband and their two-month-old baby.

When the fire broke out, the couple handed their baby to a neighbor in the adjacent building through a window before attempting to escape themselves.

The husband managed to climb to the neighboring building, but his wife fell while trying to do the same and later died in the hospital from her injuries.

Police stated that the thick smoke from the fire trapped residents and blocked the stairways, forcing many to escape through windows.

Eight others were treated for smoke inhalation.

Authorities added that the woman responsible may face charges for causing a fire that resulted in death due to negligence.

Local media noted that using fire or homemade flamethrowers to kill household pests has become an increasing trend on social media, despite repeated warnings about the dangers.