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Disaster strikes subway train in South Korea
February 18, 2003 Posted: 11:42 PM EST (0442 GMT)
A fire aboard a subway train in Daegu, South Korea quickly spread from car to car Tuesday morning, killing at least 120 people. When firefighters were able to put out the blaze about three hours after it began, many had suffocated after becoming trapped in the subway. Authorities believe the fire was set intentionally, and they are doing all they can to find out the reason behind it.
As many as 600 people were on trains or in the subway station when the incident occurred during their morning commute. The fire reportedly was ignited by a single suspect, and it quickly engulfed one train and then spread to another passing train. Some passengers became trapped inside when a power failure kept the doors from opening in their cars.
Witnesses say the suspect started the fire by lighting a container filled with liquid. "The man was playing with a cigarette lighter. An elderly person asked him not to do so and pushed him. Suddenly the man dropped the lighter, and a fire started," one witness said.
Police have questioned the suspect at a local hospital where he was treated. He is described as a man in his 50s, and officials are investigating reports that he is mentally unstable. Authorities believe the incident to be isolated - not connected to any others. They say no motive for the attack has emerged.
Firefighters managed to rescue more than 100 people at the scene, but they could not get to many others due to the intense heat and toxic fumes. 134 people were injured in the incident, and 165 were still missing as of Tuesday night. Police plan to collect DNA evidence in the coming days to help them identify the deceased.
About 2.5 million people live in Daegu - about the same number as the population of metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri. Daegu is South Korea's third-largest city, and it is located about 200 miles southeast of the capital, Seoul.
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