Man self-immolates at famous Shanghai square

BEIJING: An unidentified man committed self-immolation in Shanghai's historic riverside Bund area on Thursday, media reports said.
    
The man died by setting himself ablaze after dousing with petrol at a crowded square near the Bund, which is a major tourist hub for its colonial-era western architecture and is named after Chen Yi, a late marshal of the Chinese People's Liberation Army beside the Huangpu River.
    
"I didn't see how it started but suddenly spotted a flame that was moving about near Chen Yi's statue," a witness said. "It was a horrible scene," the witness added.
    
According to the report fire fighters put out the blaze in about 5 minutes. "An electric bike was also burnt. I guess it belonged to that man," it added.
    
The report said authorities were trying to find the identity of the man as well as the cause of suicide.