Firefighters respond to vehicle fire in underground parking lot in Suwon

A man has been apprehended by police after setting fire to his mother’s car in an underground parking lot in Suwon, Gyeonggi.

Firefighters extinguish a vehicle on fire in the underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 27. [GYEONGGI FIRE AND DISASTER HEADQUARTERS]

A man has been apprehended by police after setting fire to his mother’s car in an underground parking lot in Suwon, Gyeonggi.

A blaze broke out at 6:48 a.m. in a sedan parked in the basement garage of an apartment complex in Gosaek-dong, Gwonseon District, according to police and fire authorities Thursday. The fire was fully extinguished about an hour and 20 minutes later.

Fire authorities dispatched 18 pieces of equipment and 54 personnel after receiving a resident’s report of smoke in the garage. They brought the main flames under control within 39 minutes and then extinguished remaining embers. No injuries were reported, though the vehicle was destroyed.

Police have booked the car owner’s son on suspicion of setting fire to an occupied building. He was found to have been heavily intoxicated when he ignited his mother’s car and remained near the parking lot afterward.

Investigators are questioning him about the circumstances and motive of the crime.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY KIM JI-HYE [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]