Man sets self on fire in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, hospitalized
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A man has doused himself with gasoline and set himself on fire in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.
The Vatican said Thursday the 51-year-old man 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.
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The Vatican says his motives aren't known. The man had a piece of paper with the phone number of his daughter.
Vatican police refused to let reporters into the square after the incident.