A video of a young man accidentally setting his crotch on fire has gone viral and is spreading like wildlife across social media.

In footage of the fiery incident the man from China can be seen lighting a cigarette from a glass of flaming alcohol and taking a drag.

But as he picks up the glass he accidentally spills the liquid on his lap and starts screaming in agony as flames engulf his crotch.

A video has emerged of a young man from China accidentally setting his crotch on fire after attempting to sip from a glass of flaming alcohol

The video begins with the young man able to 'catch' a ball of fire on his fingertips without burning himself and using the flames to light a cigarette in his mouth.

While the precise location of the incident is unclear, the man can be heard saying in Mandarin: 'Let's take a drink of this flaming alcohol,' before picking up the glass of clear liquid which has a layer of flames dancing on top of it.

But before the glass reaches his mouth, the man accidentally tips the burning alcohol onto his trousers, which instantly catch fire and engulf the area between his legs in a fiery blaze.

Jumping up from the floor the man desperately tries to put out the flames by hitting himself.

As he picks up the glass he accidentally spills the liquid on his lap and starts screaming in agony as flames engulf his crotch

A friend watching the apparent performance also joins in as the pair try to extinguish the fire by smacking the victim in the crotch.

The pair eventually stray out of shot, but the panic continues as one can be heard shouting in Mandarin: 'Water - pour some water over it.'

At the end of the clip, now viewed more than a million times on Chinese social media, the flames seem to have been put out.

And only then does one suggest to another: 'Take the trousers off.'