The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Man caught after abandoning burning car

By Yoon Min-sik

Published : Feb. 29, 2024 - 11:58

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This photo shows a burnt car that was abandoned in Seo-gu, Incheon, Tuesday. (Incheon Fire Service) This photo shows a burnt car that was abandoned in Seo-gu, Incheon, Tuesday. (Incheon Fire Service)

A man who abandoned a car he was driving after it caught fire was apprehended Thursday by Incheon police, who found him in the sauna of a local bathhouse.

According to Incheon Seobu Police Station, the suspect in his 20s was found at the bathhouse around 2:15 a.m. in the city's Seo-gu district. The suspect is believed to have fled the scene after his car caught fire at around 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday.

Police found several canisters of butane fuel in the car, which was still burning when officials arrived on the scene. The car did not belong to the suspect.

Investigators believe the suspect had been inhaling gas from the canisters while driving the vehicle, although this has not yet been confirmed.

Police said they are questioning the suspect over possible violations of the Chemical Substances Control Act. They also said they are investigating why the suspect may have inhaled the gas and how he came to drive a car that he does not own.

Highly inflammable, colorless and odorless, butane gas displaces oxygen from the lungs when inhaled, subsequently leading to side effects such as a temporary sense of euphoria, hallucinations, nausea, delusion and a loss of consciousness.