South Korea releases Sri Lankan acused of causing blaze at oil storage tank

A 27-year-old Sri Lankan man, accused of causing a blaze at an oil storage tank, was released from a police prison on Wednesday.

According to the UPI agency, the man was accused of flying a paper lantern that caused an explosion and massive fire at the oil storage tank in Goyang, northwest of Seoul.

A police investigation discovered the Sri Lankan man, who was working at a nearby construction site, flew the lantern during his break about 300 meters and it dropped on the lawn of the oil storage site, causing a massive explosion and fire that lasted more than 17 hours.

Goyang Police issued an arrest warrant for the man and kept him in a prison cell during its investigation. Criticisms have emerged toward the police and the tank operator for detaining the man.

"If an oil storage tanker blows up because of a 300 won (30 cent) lantern, it's those in charge of managing the facility that should be held responsible," said a petitioner on the presidential office website.