Over 120 dead in subway arson attack

More than 120 people died when a man started a fire on a subway train in South Korea's third-largest city.

A fire department official said about 100 bodies were found in the train.

"We are receiving reports from firefighters at the scene that there are about 100 bodies inside the train cars," said firefighters' spokesman Chung Myong-sook. The toll is expected to rise above 120

YTN television said some of the bodies were only skeletons. More than 130 people were rushed to hospitals around Daegu, 200 miles south-east of the capital Seoul.

A man was under arrest, but police said they had no idea what motivated the attack. Firefighters took three hours to extinguish the blaze, which sent thick black smoke pouring from the entrance of one station.

TV footage showed the charred frames of the subway carriages. The seats were burned away, revealing their steel frames, and the subway platform was strewn with discarded shoes and other belongings.

Witnesses said Kim Dae-han, 46, was carrying a milk carton filled with flammable material when he boarded the subway train.

Police were still not sure exactly what was in the milk carton.

"When the man tried to use a cigarette lighter to light the box, some passengers tied to stop him. Apparently a scuffle erupted and the box exploded into flames," a police spokesman said.

YTN television showed footage of the chaotic scenes at a nearby hospital, apparently showing the suspect being treated by nurses.

Most watched News videos