A man who tried to burn himself alive in...

"A young man under the influence of alcohol poured gasoline over himself and set fire to himself on a staircase," a police spokesman told RIA Novosti.

The reasons behind the act of self-immolation are not yet clear.

A similar incident occurred on December 2 in north Russia"s Murmansk, when a 30-year-old man set fire to himself after a love affair went wrong. He was taken to hospital with 70% burns.

Last October, a man with a history of mental illness attempted to burn himself alive in Moscow"s Red Square. He suffered injuries to his back and arms before rescuers extinguished the flames.

MOSCOW, January 14 (RIA Novosti)