Subway Train Driver Faces Charges in Fire
South Korean police arrested a train driver on negligent manslaughter charges in connection with a subway fire in Taegu that killed 198 people.
Choi Jung Hwan, 34, is accused of failing to report the fire to the control center and neglecting his duty to evacuate passengers, police said. He faces up to five years in prison. The Feb. 18 blaze gutted Choi’s train and another that arrived at the same station minutes later.
The death toll rose to 198 on Monday after a 63-year-old woman died in a hospital. About 100 people are still hospitalized.
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