A 27-year-old man has set himself ablaze in an attempt to commit suicide on Thursday, August 17, 2023.
Mombasa County Chief Fire Officer, Ibrahim Basafar, said Robert Gituru suffered 80 per cent burns after he doused himself with paraffin and later set himself ablaze in Mwembe Tayari.
Basafar added that the man was rescued by well-wishers moments after his body went up in flames.
"He set himself ablaze and began to burn. A huge crowd that had gathered helped in putting out the fire that had consumed part of his flesh," he said.
The Fire County boss added that he was later rushed to Coast General Hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where he is currently undergoing treatment.
Basafar noted that preliminary investigations had indicated that the man was a university student and that he had purchased paraffin and set himself ablaze due to a lack of pocket money.
"We have since established that one of the reasons for setting himself ablaze was due to lack of pocket money to sustain his life while at the university. He was unable to get menial jobs hence he had lost hope and decided to commit suicide," he noted.
It still remains unclear if the man, who was rushed to ICU after developing breathing difficulties, will face criminal charges.
