On October 20, a woman in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, set her apartment on fire while trying to torch a cockroach with a homemade flamethrower. The incident, which spread to the building she lived in, resulted in the death of her neighbor, a Chinese woman who ultimately passed away this October 21.
The neighbor had attempted to escape by trying to climb through a window to the next building block, as she couldn’t leave her apartment due to thick smoke in the stairway, but she ended up falling. She was rushed to the hospital, but died some hours later. Her husband and baby evacuated safely.
South Korean police plan to issue an arrest warrant for the resident who started the fire. She may face charges of starting a fire and causing death by negligence.
Indeed, this story is tragic, and it’s an example of an extreme reaction to a creature as small as cockroaches are.
For many people, a cockroach is a psychological trigger that stirs deep discomfort and even fear. These uninvited houseguests invade our most private spaces, embodying dirt, disease, and the loss of control. And despite all our cleaning and pest-proofing, roaches thrive in the environments we create, adapting perfectly to our way of life.
So, what is it about these hardy little creatures that makes our skin crawl, and what does that say about us? Click on to find out.