A middle school girl is under investigation by police on suspicion of setting fire to the apartment where she lives because her parents would not replace her cell phone.
Gwangju Bukbu Police Station on the 21st booked a middle school girl, identified only as A, on suspicion of arson of an occupied building and she is under investigation.
A is suspected of using a lighter to set a blanket on fire in a small room of a third-floor apartment in Dongnim-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, at about 10:52 p.m. on the previous day.
Seventeen apartment residents inhaled smoke and were taken to hospitals by fire authorities, and more than 70 people were rescued or evacuated on their own.
The fire, which burned the interior and household goods, was completely extinguished in just over 20 minutes.
In a police interview, A reportedly said to the effect that "I wanted to replace my mobile phone with a new model, but (my parents) would not replace it, so I did it."
Police are conducting a joint forensic inspection with fire authorities, and the detailed cause and circumstances of the fire are under investigation.