Man in hospital after setting himself alight in Vatican City

A man has doused himself with petrol and set it alight in St Peter's Square in Vatican City.

The Vatican said the 51-year-old was treated at a nearby hospital and transferred to a larger one, with serious burns to the upper part of his body.

A Vatican statement says 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 agents were treated at the hospital for smoke inhalation and injuries to their hands.

The Vatican says his motives aren’t known.

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

AP