Vatican says motives of 51-year-old who doused himself with petrol and self-immolated in St Peter's Square are unknown

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

A man has doused himself with petrol and set himself on fire in St Peter's Square in the Vatican City.

The Vatican said on Thursday 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.

A Vatican statement said a Jesuit priest initially tried to smother the flames with a jacket. He was later joined by two police officers who used a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze. The officers were treated at the hospital for smoke inhalation and injuries to their hands.

The Vatican said the man's motives were unknown; he had a piece of paper with the phone number of his daughter.

Vatican police refused to let reporters into the square after the incident.