Man’s attempt to kill cockroach lives him with minor injuries

A man in the city of Kumamoto in Japan has reportedly set his luxury apartment on fire last Sunday while he was in the process of chasing a single cockroach to kill it, Insider magazine has reported.

The 54-year-old had sprayed a lot of insecticide in his attempt to defeat the bug, Japanese police told the Mainichi Shimbun in a report on Monday as quoted by Insider, resulting in a fiery explosion.

The blast shattered the balcony window and left the man with minor injuries, according to the newspaper. The report added that police noticed burn marks near the man’s kotatsu – a Japanese heating table.

This is not the first time an explosion has occurred after someone sprayed pesticides. According to Japan’s National Consumer Affairs Center, there have been several reports of explosions after the insecticide caught fire when sprayed near electrical outlets, according to the Mainichi Shimbun.

“Placing liquid sprays in certain areas can be very dangerous,” Philip Koehler, professor emeritus of entomology at the University of Florida, wrote in a university publication in January 2022.

“For example, exposed electrical parts, motors, or wiring pose a risk of electric shock to people using water-based pesticide sprays.

Pilot lights and gas flames from heaters and appliances can ignite petroleum-based pesticides. ,” Koehler continued.