A Japanese man attempting to hit a single cockroach unintentionally detonated his apartment by excessively using insecticide around midnight on December 10. The incident, reported in the Mainichi Shimbun, unfolded when a 54-year-old resident of Kumamoto's Chuo Ward noticed a cockroach inside his apartment.

Japanese man blows his own home

After spotting the cockroach, filled with disgust, he sprayed an enormous quantity of insecticide in an attempt to eradicate it. About a minute later, an explosion occurred, shattering a balcony window. According to the police, the resident sustained minor injuries in the blast. Burn marks were identified near the man's kotatsu, a Japanese heating table.

The National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan reported receiving multiple accounts of explosions linked to insecticide sprayed near electrical outlets. Pest removal companies stated that spraying pesticides at electrical outlets can cause damage and potentially harm individuals, reported Straits Times.

Philip Koehler, a Professor of entomology at the University of Florida, warned that ''applying liquid sprays in certain areas may be extremely hazardous.'' He added, ''Electrical outlets, motors, or exposed wiring pose a potential threat of electrical shock to persons applying water-based pesticide sprays. Pilot lights and gas flames from heaters and appliances may ignite flammable petroleum-based pesticides."

The news of the unfortunate incident went viral on social media, sparking humour and amusement. Comments such as ''Did the cockroach die though?'' and ''And the cockroach laughed at the attempt while moving into the neighbour's suite,'' circulated on Instagram.

In a similar incident reported from the US, an Ohio woman accidentally burned her entire home while attempting to kill bed bugs with rubbing alcohol in 2017. The unidentified Cincinnati woman sparked a conflagration while dousing the infestation with the highly flammable liquid near an open flame, according to officials. CBS News reported three injuries and 10 people left homeless as a result.