South Korea: Woman trying to kill cockroach sets apartment block on fire

A neighbour died after falling to the ground in a failed attempt to escape through a window.

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One of the woman's neighbours died after falling to the ground in a failed attempt to escape through a window.

The woman, who is in her 20s, told police that she tried to torch the cockroach with a lighter and a flammable spray, adding that she had used the method before. But on Monday, items in her home caught fire.

Police in the northern city of Osan said the woman could be charged with accidentally starting a fire and causing death by negligence.

Blasting cockroaches - with blowtorches or homemade flamethrowers - has emerged as a novel way of getting rid of house pests, made popular by videos on social media.