Minor injuries like abrasions reported, 21 people in hospital for examination
A man suspected of setting fire on a Seoul subway train on Line 5 has been arrested, police said Saturday morning.
The 60-something man, carrying a jerrycan of gasoline and a torch lighter, was apprehended near Yeouinaru Station at around 9:45 a.m., about an hour after the fire broke out between Yeouinaru and the next stop, Mapo Station, in western Seoul.
The Yeongdeungpo Police Station, which has jurisdiction, is investigating what had motivated the man.
Over 400 passengers had to evacuate the train, some sustaining minor injuries ranging from abrasions to smoke inhalations. Twenty-one people were taken to a hospital for examination. The fire was put out completely at 10:24 a.m.
The subway car wasn’t damaged badly and all trains on Line 5 are now fully operational, according to Seoul Metro, the subway operator, which had briefly suspended services over the fire in the morning.
