A man who allegedly set himself on fire at a fuel station in New Taipei City on Friday afternoon is in an intensive care unit, police said yesterday.
The New Taipei City Fire Department said that it at 5:44pm on Friday received a report that a man had self-immolated at a CPC Corp, Taiwan gas station on Minzu Road in Banciao District (板橋).
By the time firefighters arrived, station staff had extinguished the blaze, the department said.
Photo courtesy of the New Taipei City Police Department
The man was restrained at the scene and sustained second-degree burns, it said.
The fire also injured a bystander, who had burns. Both were conscious and taken to Far Eastern Memorial Hospital for treatment, it said.
The Haishan Police Precinct said no weapons or dangerous items were found at the scene.
The precinct said that, based on a preliminary investigation, the man who allegedly started the fire lunged at a nearby security guard surnamed Tseng (曾), causing him to also suffer burns.
However, it did not comment on whether the man set himself on fire.
An eyewitness said the man also lunged at firefighters as they sprayed him with a hose, but he was quickly restrained.
The motive for the incident is being investigated, police said.
A firefighter filed charges of injury and obstruction of official duties, police said, adding that Tseng also filed charges.
Tseng, receiving treatment and under observation at the hospital, in an interview yesterday said that he had finished his cash escort duty and was refueling his car when he noticed the suspect walking around the station holding a lighter.
He said that at the time, he did not know the suspect had been covered in gasoline or what his motive was, thinking he might have been in a conflict with someone.
Later, while he was waiting to pay for the fuel, the man suddenly lit a fire, Tseng said.
“The flames were huge; the man, fully on fire, lunged at me and grabbed my hand, knocking me down,” said Tseng, who suffered burns over approximately 15 percent of his skin, with injuries to his thighs, lower back and wrists, and required hospitalization and medical observation.
“This terrifying experience has caused me significant shock and trauma,” he said.
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