California, June 05: An incident in California, USA, has caused a lot of discussion on social media. An employee has been arrested for allegedly setting fire to a huge warehouse of 1.2 million square feet due to dissatisfaction over not getting a salary hike. The video has also gone viral.
What is the incident?
A fire broke out in a huge warehouse in Ontario, California in the early hours of April 7. Police have accused a 29-year-old employee named Chamel Abdulkarim of deliberately setting the fire. The warehouse was used to store paper-based essential items including tissues and toilet paper.
In the viral video, the accused is heard setting fire to items inside the warehouse and saying, “If only we had been paid enough to live on.” After setting the fire, he reportedly said, “Here’s your goods gone.”
175 firefighters on the scene
The fire spread quickly and became a six-alarm emergency. About 175 firefighters worked for several hours to control the fire. Due to the intensity of the fire, a portion of the warehouse’s roof collapsed, destroying a large amount of goods.
Losses in the millions
The warehouse and the goods inside it were severely damaged, worth about $156 million. Officials estimate the total loss could be more than $600 million. The incident is also likely to affect the Western United States’ freight supply chain.
Arrest, investigation ongoing
The police arrested the suspect after the incident and have registered a case on several serious charges, including arson. The video and social media posts are being reviewed as part of the investigation.