A fire broke out at an apartment in Incheon in the middle of the night, apparently after a man opened a city gas line and lit a lighter during a fight with his wife.
The fire started at about 2:40 a.m. on the 25th on the 11th floor of an apartment building in Jakjeon-dong, Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, according to the Incheon Fire Headquarters.
A man in his 50s identified as A, who lives in the unit, and his wife, a woman in her 50s, suffered second-degree burns to their legs. About 40 other residents evacuated on their own.
Fire authorities initially announced that nine people had been injured but later corrected the number to two, citing an error in the notice.
Firefighters deployed 56 personnel and 24 pieces of equipment and extinguished the blaze at about 2:59 a.m., 19 minutes after it began.
Police believe A opened the city gas line and lit a lighter during the argument, causing a gas explosion that shattered windows and started the fire. He was arrested on suspicion of arson of a structure causing injury.
A told police, however, that he had only been trying to light a cigarette and had no intention of setting a fire, according to officials.
Police and fire authorities are investigating the exact circumstances and cause of the fire.