Shoppers watch in horror as woman sets herself on fire in Miami mall



Shoppers looked on in horror yesterday as a woman set herself on fire at a Miami mall and then walked around engulfed in flame.

The 43-year-old, whose name was not released, doused herself with a flammable liquid at the Mall of the Americas.

Shocked onlookers rushed towards her using nearby fire extinguishers to put out the flames.

Woman on fire: Onlookers use fire extinguishers to put out the flames after a 43-year-old sets herself a blaze in the Mall of the Americas in Miami

The woman was on fire for about two-and-a-half minutes and suffered third-degree burns over 75 percent of her body, said a Fire Rescue spokesman.

She was was found conscious in a parking lot and was air-lifted to a hospital soon afterwards.

Two men and a woman who tried to help her suffered minor injuries.

Authorities do not know why the woman set herself on fire. Witnesses said she was in a clothing store called Savage Boutique when it happened.



Blaze drama: The incident occurred inside the Mall of the Americas in Miami

Jose Morales, 24, said at a nearby kiosk when he heard screams and thought someone had fallen. When he turned around, he saw the blaze and realized someone was within it.

‘This woman is just walking like this, super slow, completely on fire,’ he said. ‘You couldn't see nothing but fire.'

Morales said witnesses used two fire extinguishers on the woman, who was on fire about two-and-a-half minutes. All of her clothes except her underwear disappeared into ashes.

After the fire was out, Morales said, the woman walked out of the mall and into the parking lot.

The two men injured helping her were treated at the scene while the woman who helped was taken to a hospital.

The mall remained closed as of late afternoon.

