Syrian refugee in critical condition after setting himself on fire
A 29-year-old Syrian man was in critical condition on Thursday after dousing himself in flammable liquid and setting it alight at a refugee and migrant camp on the Aegean island of Chios.
According to the politischios.gr website, the 29-year-old had been in the camp for around a week after arriving in Greece by boat from Turkey. Without giving any sign of what he intended to do, he poured a flammable liquid all over his body and set it alight with a lighter.
Police officers near the scene tried to extinguish the flames, which caused burns covering more than 85 percent of the man’s body according to local doctors who ordered that he be transferred to a specialized unit in Athens. One officer sustained injuries to his face and hands during the effort and is also undergoing treatment.
Other refugees interviewed by politischios.gr said that the 29-year-old had been highly agitated ever since arriving at the camp and had protested his detention.
