Man 'set flat on fire and killed five neighbours as they tried to escape'

A man in South Korea has been accused of setting his apartment on fire and stabbing his neighbours as they tried to escape the burning building.

The 42-year-old man poured petrol in his living room and set newspapers alight to start the blaze in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

He then knifed fellow residents as they fled the apartment block in Jinju - killing five people and injuring six others. A further seven victims have been treated for smoke inhalation.

The Korea Herald said one of those killed was a 12-year-old girl - and reported that two sashimi knives were used in the attack.

Despite the fire, some residents reportedly ran to the roof of the building so they would not be stabbed.

Only identified by his family name Ahn, he reportedly told police that his neighbours had provoked him by dumping rubbish and insects in his apartment and spying on him using secret cameras.

The suspect - who is said to have had a history of schizophrenia - also said he was angry at society and former employers, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

Detectives said knives of 34cm and 24cm long were used in the attack, and that he had bought the fuel used in the fire at a petrol station four hours before.

The man's neighbours told Yonhap he had behaved erratically before - and claimed he had thrown human excrement in the lifts and in nearby properties.

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon has criticised police for what he said was a failure to properly monitor a person known for past violence.