Fire Incident on Seoul Subway Line 5: Arson Suspected

On the morning of May 31, a fire believed to be caused by arson broke out on Seoul's Subway Line 5 between Mapo Station and Yeouinaru Station, prompting the evacuation of approximately 400 passengers. Some of these individuals escaped through a tunnel leading to Yeouinaru Station, while others fled towards Mapo Station. Fortunately, there were no reported fatalities or serious injuries from the incident.

According to fire authorities, the blaze ignited around 8:43 AM in the fourth car of a train heading from Yeouinaru Station to Mapo Station, approximately 300 meters before arriving at Mapo. The first witness reported that the fire started from clothing and trash.

As a result of the fire, 21 people suffered minor injuries, including smoke inhalation and abrasions, and were transported to hospitals, while 130 others received on-site emergency treatment.

During the incident, the train was carrying around 400 passengers. Some evacuated through the tunnel towards Mapo Station, while others used the underwater tunnel to reach Yeouinaru Station. The train's operator managed to stop the train and extinguish the flames with a fire extinguisher before firefighters arrived. Fire authorities deployed 68 vehicles and 230 personnel to fully extinguish the fire, which was confirmed to have only burned some trash, as modern subway trains are primarily made of fire-resistant materials.

In a related development, police apprehended a suspect, identified as A, who was fleeing from Yeouinaru Station around 9:45 AM. The suspect allegedly boarded the train with a gasoline canister and ignited the fire using a torch lighter.

The incident caused a disruption in service on the downward line of Subway Line 5 between Yeouido Station and Aeogae Station for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.