A video circulating on social media shows the man setting fire to himself in the terminal of Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan after arguing with his wife over the phone
Shocking new images show the moment a man sets himself on fire in an airport after having an argument with his wife.
Police in Kazakhstan have launched an investigation after the man poured flammable liquid on himself and lit himself alight near Terminal 1 of Almaty International Airport, located near the nation’s capital, on Monday.
A video circulating on social media begins showing the passenger, who is wearing a baseball cap and jacket, standing at a customer service desk in the airport. A couple of seconds later, he is seen engulfed in a large ball in flames and dashes from behind the desk into the concourse, where he drops to the floor and rolls around.
Airport bosses said on-site security and police responded “immediately” to the incident, and the fire was promptly put out. The man was given first aid at the scene, and rushed to hospital in a “critical” condition.
He remained under medical supervision on Tuesday evening. One airport worker told Kazakh outlet Tengrin News that, in the moments leading up to the blaze, the passenger had pleaded with staff to get him on a flight after missing his train home.
He then requested a phonecall with his wife, which turned into an argument. Afterwards, he reportedly asked an airport employee to leave the desk before dousing himself in petrol and setting himself on fire.
A police officer told the outlet: “Some say he may have been drunk.” It is thought that he had bought the fuel at a nearby petrol station.
An airport spokesperson added that the incident did not affect terminal operations, and all flights continued according to schedule.
Earlier this month, chaos broke out at a major European airport after a hammer-wielding arsonist allegedly set a check-in desk ablaze. Passengers at Milan Malpensa Airport watched on in horror after a man was seen setting fire to a rubbish bin before trying to destroy screens between two check in areas. Photographs from the airport showed a 6ft fire rising up to the screens above the desk, while footage showed the alleged arsonist being restrained by officers.
One eyewitness told the Mirror: “I heard popping noises and a man wearing a white t-shirt with a blue surgical mask on with a hat was yelling out loud. It was then I started running for my life with my husband hand in hand. Everyone around me was in panic mode- screaming and running. I thought I was going to die.”
Italian newspaper said the suspect was a 28-year-old Malian national who had never been in trouble with law enforcement before.