Police in North Gyeongsang Province booked a 56-year-old man Sunday without detention on suspicion of starting a wildfire that killed 26 people.
The man allegedly ignited the fire at around 11:24 a.m. on March 22 while tending to his grandparents’ graves on a mountain in Uiseong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province.
Authorities secured the scene Saturday, and plan to conduct a joint investigation this week alongside the National Institute of Forest Science, the National Forensic Service and local fire officials.
During the initial fire, the man’s daughter called the 119 emergency hotline, saying, “A fire started and (my grandparents’) graves are burning,” adding that she had come with her father. Police confirmed the man’s wife was also present at the site.
In a police interview, the daughter said, “(We) tried to break a tree branch but failed. A lighter was used in an attempt to burn it, but the wind carried the embers and caused a wildfire.”
Fanned by strong winds, the fire spread rapidly through northeastern areas of the province, reaching Andong, Cheongsong-gun, Yeongyang-gun and Yeongdeok-gun.
shinjh@heraldcorp.com
