In the middle of Murcia, in Plaza del Cardenal Belluga, a firefighter set himself on fire today, Monday Janaury 26th, at about 8:45 a.m.
Witnesses said that the man was in the plaza with an axe and a loudhailer, talking to people. He then started pouring petrol on the ground and on his head. A woman tried to stop him at that point, but he was able to pour the fuel on himself nonetheless.
A few moments later, the man set himself on fire, which made police from the Murcia Local Police, who were stationed at the Murcia City Hall next to the square, act quickly. Once the petrol caught fire, the officers put out the flames using fire extinguishers and then restrained the man by handcuffing him to keep him safe.
At first, several cops felt it might be a show, but they rapidly changed their minds when they saw how serious the situation was. Local store and restaurant owners also helped out at first and saw what happened.
A short time later, representatives of the Fire Service arrived quite promptly to take command of the situation and help the injured person.
We still don’t know what caused the event. Some firefighters say that the man was on leave because of mental health issues, but a medical test said he had to go back to work. The same sources say that he said he was in discomfort and wouldn’t go back to work.
Some witnesses say that the man may have been making some kind of labour claim and going through a tough time in his personal life, but these claims have not been formally proven and are still only guesses for now.
Shopkeepers, restaurant owners, and people passing by were all really shocked by what happened. It happened early in the morning in one of the busiest parts of the city centre.
Author: Derek Appleton
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