R Prince Jebakumar By

As if the Hollywood blockbuster Ghost Rider were coming alive, the second child of poor farmhands Karnan and Rajeshwari catches fire spontaneously—the first time it happened was barely 9 days after his birth— spooking them and their villager-neighbours. Sadly, unlike Nicholas Cage, who is unaffected by the blaze he bursts into spontaneously in the movie, the baby sustains burns, and is now under observation at the Kilpauk Medical College hospital, Chennai.

The now two-month-old infant, Rahul, who has had four incidences of catching fire, is suspected to be suffering from a rare condition of ‘Spontaneous Human Combustion’ and was admitted to the Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of KMC on Thursday night. According to doctors, this is the first such case reported in South India.

Rahul was born on May 22 to the couple, who got married four years ago at T Parangini village, a remote hamlet near Tindivanam in Villupuram district.

Rahul’s condition causes him to catch fire reportedly due to combustible ‘gas’ and ‘fluids’ emitted from his body. The four incidences of the phenomenon occurred on the 9th, 12th, 45th day and 65th day since his birth. On the last occasion in their native village, the family claimed, the fire from him spread across their hut and destroyed all their belongings.

The baby had been admitted twice to the Government Hospital in Villupuram and to JIPMER before he was brought to KMC. First admitted in the burns ward, its chief Dr Jeyamohan suggested he be moved to the NICU to prevent infection.

The baby is being studied to ascertain how the fire is being caused.