On the morning of the 23rd, a fire of unknown cause breaks out at an apartment management office in Sadong, Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, injuring residents and staff with burns and sending them to a hospital. Police and fire authorities control the scene and investigate the cause and circumstances of the incident. /Courtesy of News1

An explosion fire suspected to be intentional arson broke out at an apartment management office in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, injuring many people. Testimony emerged that the suspect arrested at the scene had been in conflict with the management office over the management bylaws and the residents' representative election, and the police said the exact circumstances of the incident is under investigation.

According to police and others on the 23rd, the explosion occurred at about 8:29 a.m. that day inside an apartment management office in Sadong, Gyeongsan. The flames were fully contained at about 8:48 a.m., roughly 20 minutes after they broke out.

A total of eight people, including the arson suspect, two men, and six women, suffered burns of varying degrees. So far, fortunately, no one has died, but one of the seriously injured is in critical condition and was urgently airlifted to Seoul by helicopter.

At around 8:29 a.m. on the 23rd, authorities inspect the scene of a suspected explosion inside an apartment management office in Sadong, Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province. /Courtesy of Yonhap

The man suspected of arson was also injured and was taken to a nearby hospital. Police believe he entered the management office carrying a container of flammable liquid shortly before the crime and intentionally set the fire not long after.

Immediately after the crime, the person left the scene, went to what is believed to be his home to grab a weapon, and then returned to the area around the scene. He then shouted insults and threats loudly at people nearby before being subdued by responding officers. It was confirmed that he, too, suffered burns all over his body in the process of setting the fire.

Among the victims were five elderly residents who had been in the senior center adjacent to the management office. The management office and the senior center are in the same building but have separate doors, with a restroom in between. Because of this, police are checking whether they were injured while trying to evacuate after hearing the explosion or were harmed while staying inside the office.

On the morning of the 23rd, a fire of unknown cause breaks out at an apartment management office in Sadong, Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, injuring residents and staff with burns and sending them to a hospital. A resident who evacuated from the scene exits the apartment complex. /Courtesy of News1

Police and Gyeongsan City said the explosion appeared to have occurred during a gathering of apartment management office officials and residents. Witnesses at the scene said a man believed to be a resident entered the room, sprayed a liquid, and then set it on fire, which seemed to cause a large explosion.

Another witness said several loud bangs rang out and people whose clothes and bodies had caught fire ran out of the building in a rush, screaming. There were also accounts that some fled clutching bundles of documents in their hands.

At the complex where the incident occurred, there had reportedly been considerable friction between the management office and some residents over how it was run. Residents were also found to have filed multiple complaints with local authorities in the past.

On the day of the incident, residents and management office officials were also scheduled to hold a meeting over the management bylaws. Because this apartment is a small complex, it is structured so that it is not required to have a residents' representative council, which is a legal obligation for larger complexes.

At around 8:29 a.m. on the 23rd, after a suspected explosion inside an apartment management office in Sadong, Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, the police forensic team withdraws carrying a cardboard box containing items believed to be evidence. /Courtesy of Yonhap

In addition, the resident suspected of arson is believed to have run in the recent residents' representative election but lost. After the result came out, the person reportedly caused a disturbance, including damaging a ballot box. Based on these actions and circumstances, police believe the suspect had harbored grievances for a long time and took extreme action.

Police booked the suspect arrested at the scene on suspicion of setting fire to an occupied building. However, the person also suffered severe burns, and police plan to conduct a full interrogation as soon as treatment is complete.

Police also conducted a detailed forensic examination of the scene immediately after the flames were brought under control. However, the management office's internal closed-circuit television (CCTV) storage device, which would have captured the moments right before the incident, was burned in the fire, making it unlikely that the internal footage can be analyzed. Accordingly, police are focusing investigative resources on collecting dashcam recordings from vehicles parked around the apartment complex.

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