It is unclear what prompted the man to risk his life, as police are yet to reveal further details.
The man was saved by a couple of local shopkeepers with fire extinguishers.
A regular day near the historic Galata Tower in Istanbul, Turkey was disrupted when an unidentified man, dressed as a Grim Reaper, poured gasoline over himself and set himself on fire in the middle of the day.
WARNING! The following video is GRAPHIC and may offend sensibilities.
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT!
A Turkish citizen set himself on fire in front of the Galata Tower, a very popular tourist area in Istanbul Turkey. pic.twitter.com/golffmkXYN— Asaad Sam Hanna (@AsaadHannaa) May 31, 2022
Onlookers, however, did not rush to the man’s aid. To the contrary, most apparently thought it was some kind of show or troubling street performance, with a handful taking selfies with the ‘live fireball’, as the man staggered to his knees.
It was only when the man fell helplessly on the ground that two local shopkeepers came to his aid, dousing the flames with fire extinguishers.
???????? Reports in Turkish media say it is unclear what prompted him to carry out the horrific act, and it is not known how seriously he was injured.
It happened this afternoon in front of the historic Galata Tower in the Beyoglu district of the city.#Istanbul #Turkey #Beyoglu pic.twitter.com/vwSgmdMmcd
— Mambo (@____mambo____) June 1, 2022
Miraculously, the ‘torch-man’ survived the ordeal, despite being on fire for nearly a minute. He later talked with police officers that arrived at the scene while sitting on the ground. It is unclear what motivated the Grim Reaper to take such action.
Stupid is as stupid does