Starbucks LA (Photo : www.nbclosangeles.com)
An unidentified man that tried to immolate himself inside the bathroom of a Starbucks cafe in Southern California survived but suffered severe burns to over 90 percent of his body.
The man apparently tried to commit suicide at around 8:20 a.m. Tuesday at the Starbucks along Sherman Way in Van Nuys, NBC Los Angeles reported.
Police described the victim as a 60 year-old man believed to be a transient living in the area and not a local.
Starbucks customers said they heard a loud explosion from the bathroom. A man in flames emerged at the entrance and collapsed. Starbucks customers helped douse the fire.
Firefighters assisted the victim and found him with extensive burns. The unidentified man was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. Burns covered almost all of his body, police said. No one else ws injured in the incident.
The reason for the attempted suicide remains unclear to authorities. Police said this was a bizarre incident but believed it could be a suicide attempt, according to International Business Times.
Self-immolation is the act of setting oneself on fire. It's not very common in the United States.
