Man sets himself on fire in suicide attempt: police

HÀ NỘI — A man on Monday set himself on fire at the gate of the Central Citizen Reception Centre in Hà Nội, according to the police.

At a press conference held on Monday afternoon, Hà Nội police deputy director Colonel Nguyễn Thanh Tùng said that the incident occurred at around 11.25am in Hà Đông District.

The man was Bùi Hữu Tuân, 58, a resident of Đạo Ngạn Village in the capital’s suburban Chương Mỹ District. He was also the former chief of the village.

Tuân and another village fellow Lương Công Tính arrived at the Central Citizen Reception Centre on Monday morning to lodge an appeal to a verdict of the city People’s Court against Tuân for power abuse. They also requested the suspension of a June 22 decision of the Chương Mỹ District People’s Court on executing the prison sentence for those who were on bail.

After being received by an officer at the centre, the two left but Tuân soon returned with a 500ml plastic bottle filled with petrol. Pouring the petrol all over himself, he set himself on fire in front of the centre’s building.

Security guards and the people nearby rushed to put off the flames and take him to the Lê Hữu Trác Institute of Burns.

The preliminary assessment showed that Tuân suffered burns over 77 per cent of his body, of which 25 per cent was deeply burnt.

Hà Nội police are investigating the case. — VNS