Train fire suspect was attempting suicide, say police

A MAN accused of igniting the fire that engulfed two South Korean subway trains and killed at least 125 people was attempting to commit suicide, police said yesterday.

The suspect, Kim Dae-han, 56, has a history of mental illness and has told police “he decided to die with others in a crowded place, rather than die by himself”, said Lieutenant Cho Doo-won.

The disclosure of a possible motive in Tuesday’s attack came as criticism of the official response to the tragedy mounted.

Grieving relatives of victims complained of delays in body identification and critics said the attack showed flaws in security measures.

“The government is not hurrying up with the investigation,” Kang Mee-ja, whose mother died in the attack, cried. “As her daughter, I just want to bury her quickly.”

Investigators were yesterday still gauging the human toll of the blaze in Daegu, 200 miles southeast of Seoul.

Only 44 of the dead had been identified and officials feared more of the 145 hurt could still die of their injuries.

Authorities counted 314 people as still reported missing but said the number was greatly inflated by double reports and the enduring confusion over the identities of the dead.

Attention yesterday focused on the actions of subway officials, who were being interrogated by police.

Many asked why a second train was allowed arrive at the station minutes after the first train erupted in flames. Meanwhile, relatives of victims struggled to come to terms with their grief.

Jung In-ho said his 21-year-old daughter called her mother in a panic as the fire spread through the train and the cars filled with deadly smoke.

He held up his cell phone yesterday, saying he still calls his daughter’s number even though he knows she’s gone.

“I feel like she’s going to pick up the phone any minute,” he said.