THIS is the shocking moment a man dressed as the grim reaper set himself on fire in Turkey’s biggest city of Istanbul.
Horror footage too graphic to publish shows the man, his body completely consumed by flames, raising his arms to the sky before dropping to his knees.
Two tourists appeared to take selfies as the man went up in flames[/caption]
The man dressed as the grim reaper was walking around in costume before setting himself on fire[/caption]
The man was filmed talking to authorities after being extinguished[/caption]
It took place in front of Istanbul‘s famous Galata Tower, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Turkey.
The distressed man, dressed as the grim reaper in black robes and carrying a scythe and petrol can in his hands was reportedly seen walking around for some time before setting himself alight.
In the clip, horrified passers-by watch on as flames leap from the man’s body, while some even appear to take selfies.
A man and woman are seen holding a phone aloft with their backs to the sickening events taking place behind them.
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Eventually, two workers from nearby shops and restaurants grab fire extinguishers and are able to douse the flames.
Reports in Turkey say it isn’t clear why the man carried out such a grisly act of self-immolation, and the extent of his injuries isn’t known.
A later video shared online by Turkish media appears to show the aftermath of the incident.
In it, the man is moving his arms and talking to authorities, raising hopes that he may have survived.
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Many Twitter users commented why none of the onlooking tourists did anything to help.
Ragip Soylu, Turkey Bureau Chief for Middle East Eye, tweeted: “Someone in Istanbul’s Galata set himself ablaze. Some tourists continued to take selfies as the guy was burning.”
Another wrote: “It was a tragedy for those who watched and photographed the man who burned himself in Galata yesterday.
“But that man burned himself, the clothes and the fact that there was a woman in a red dress among those who took selfies when he burned himself, when you collect all of these, you need to think more carefully!”
Some tourists continued to take selfies as the guy was burning
Ragip Soylu
However, pictures reportedly taken the same day show the man in his grim reaper costume posing for photos with tourists, indicating many people may have believed it was a performance.
Authorities have not said how serious the man’s injuries were.
The horror unfolded in front of the historic 1,500-year-old stone tower in the Beyoglu district which is incredibly popular with tourists.
In 2019, Istanbul was the ninth most popular tourist destination in the world, with more than 14.7m foreign visitors.
Britain was Turkey’s third-largest tourist market before the Covid pandemic, with nearly 2.6 million Brits traveling to the country in 2019.
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More than 200,000 Brits visited Instanbul in 2020 alone, despite the disruption of the Covid pandemic.
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call The Samaritans for free any time, even on a mobile without credit, on 116123.
1,500-year-old Galata Tower is one of Istanbul’s most popular tourist destinations[/caption]
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