A migrant from Syria has set himself on fire at a Greek refugee camp, apparently after being rejected for asylum multiple times, local media reported. The moment the man set himself alight was captured on numerous mobile phones and later posted online.

The incident took place at a refugee camp on the Greek island of Chios on Thursday. As seen in one of the videos, the man addressed the crowd after soaking himself in a flammable fluid. When a police officer tried to take hold of the migrant from behind, he set himself on fire.

Engulfed in flames, he then tried to run off.

The Syrian man was taken to hospital, where doctors discovered he had suffered burns over 90 percent of his body. The policeman who tried to save the migrant suffered minor burns to his head and hands.

The specific reasons behind the horrifying actions of the Syrian man remained unclear, as local media gave contradictory reports. While some news outlets said that the man was desperate after experiencing numerous rejections to consider his asylum application, others said he had arrived only a week earlier.