A man has doused himself with petrol and set himself on fire in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican City.
The Vatican yesterday said that the 51-year-old man had been treated at a nearby hospital and transferred to a larger one, with serious burns to the upper part of his body.
The Vatican said the man’s motives were unknown; he had a piece of paper with the phone number of his daughter.
A Vatican statement said a Jesuit priest initially tried to smother the flames with a jacket. He was later joined by two police officers.
Vatican police refused to let reporters into the square after the incident.