‘Angry divorcee’ pours petrol in packed South Korea tube sparking huge fire

A pensioner is facing 160 counts of attempted murder after allegedly pouring petrol in a packed tube and lighting it on fire.

The 67-year-old suspect – named only as Won – is accused of carrying out the deadly act during rush hour on the Seoul Metropolitan Subway in South Korea.

He was reportedly dissatisfied with the judgment of his divorce lawsuit, prompting him to plan the attack.

No one was seriously hurt, but the damages are estimated to top £161,400.

CCTV footage of the heinous act has been released by the Seoul public prosecutor’s office.

The alleged terror attack resulted in 129 people needing first aid at the scene, with six victims taken to nearby hospitals with injuries. Others were treated for smoke inhalation.

Prosecutors say Won deliberately targeted the busy train to gain public attention, before fleeing the scene and being detained later at Yeouinaru Station.

But thanks to the passengers’ quick actions and the installation of fire-resistant materials, a more devastating tragedy was prevented.

Won remains in police custody as the investigation continues.

What happens when there is a fire on a Tube?

Simon Burras, Managing Director at Applied Industrial Systems (AIS), a tunnel ventilation control system specialist, previously told Metro: ‘If there is a fire on the train, then the normal mode of operation is for the train to stop at the next station so that the passengers can evacuate quickly.

‘Once the train arrives at the station, the over-platform extraction systems are designed to remove the smoke. The staircase pressurisation systems provide a positive airflow down the escape route so that passengers can escape through smoke-free air.

‘If, for some reason, there is a fire and the train is stopped in the tunnel, and passengers have to escape via the tunnel walkways, then the tunnel ventilation system is designed to clear smoke so that they can do so safely.

‘Usually, the system works by sending the smoke in one direction and passengers in the other. Along the tunnel, active way-finding lights point in the direction passengers need to take to evacuate.’

Have there been instances of arson on the Tube before?

Yes.

In 2023, a fire on a London Underground train was found to be a deliberate act of arson.

Flames were reported to be burning through the end of a carriage on a stationary Tube train in Leyton, melting into the floor.

And though it wasn’t arson, in February, a fire broke out in a northbound tunnel near Waterloo Underground station.

London Fire Brigade and other emergency crews rushed to the scene after reports of a ‘ceramic track support’ overheating in the Kennington Tunnels on York Road, south east London.

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