According to Osan police station, the fire broke out around 5.35am on Monday in a mixed-use building where a woman in her 20s, identified only by her surname A, lived on the second floor.

She tried to catch a cockroach by spraying flammable mist and igniting it with a lighter, effectively creating a small flame-thrower.

Flames quickly spread to a nearby bed and piles of trash, prompting A to call emergency services. Firefighters extinguished the blaze within about 40 minutes.

The fire, however, claimed the life of a Chinese national in her 30s, identified as B, who lived on the fifth floor. Eight other residents suffered from smoke inhalation.

When the flames erupted, B held her two-month-old baby and, together with her husband, opened a window to call for help.