White House self-immolater dies

A man who set himself on fire near the White House has died of his injuries, authorities said Thursday.

The man was identified as Arnav Gupta, from Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington.

He lit himself at about midday on Wednesday on the Ellipse – south of the president’s residence – and died of his injuries that evening in hospital, US Park Police said on Twitter.

In April, a man set his jacket on fire just outside the White House fence on Pennsylvania Avenue. He suffered non-lifethreatening injuries.

Picture: SUPPLIED HORRIFIC SIGHT: Arnav Gupta, who set himself on fire near the White House with disturbing footage showing him engulfed in flames, manages to stand upright before security runs towards him to extinguish the flames.