Deadly fire caused by squatters' makeshift bombs: prosecutors

SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors concluded Thursday that a deadly fire that
took six lives during a clash between police and demonstrators was caused by
makeshift bombs prepared by the protesters.
The fire erupted on Tuesday at a building rooftop in Yongsan, central Seoul,
during a crackdown by police commandos on a group of squatters staging a sit-in
against an urban redevelopment project in the area. The blaze killed six people,
including a police officer, and left more than 20 injured.
"We've confirmed that the victims died as the fire from the makeshift bomb spread
to a watchtower on the roof that was filled with inflammables," an official at
the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office said.
The protesters have said that the fire broke out while police commandos stormed
the building, claiming that the crane-lifted container carrying the commando team
to the rooftop shook the building and ended up spilling the paint thinners.
The prosecution's announcement of its probe result has come extraordinarily
swiftly, with Seoul's police chief Kim Seok-ki under mounting pressure to resign.
Kim, who was recently appointed by President Lee Myung-bak to head the country's
police agency, was also accused of using excessive force last summer in dealing
with demonstrators opposed to the reopening of South Korea's market to U.S. beef.
Some squatters will likely face criminal charges, according to the prosecution
official, as they were aware of the risk of storing a substantial amount of paint
thinners and other inflammable material in one area.
Prosecutors, however, said they could not identify who actually started the fire
due to conflicting testimonies among the squatters.
They also hinted that police commandos at the site would not likely face charges
as they concluded that the decision to storm the building was authorized by the
Seoul police chief through proper procedure.
Prosecutors also sought arrest warrants for six of the protesters on charges of
obstructing police public work. A court was to decide whether to approve the
warrant later in the day.
The main opposition Democratic Party demanded the president immediately fire Kim
and the public safety minister, and called for a parliamentary investigation into
the incident. The ruling party insists that a thorough fact-finding effort must
precede any punitive actions.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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