An apparent protester set himself on fire near the Egyptian parliament in Cairo on Monday, police and local media said.
The Al-Ahram newspaper said 49-year-old Abdo Abdel Hameed, a restaurant owner, had poured a container of petrol on himself before lightning a match to his clothes, engulfing him in flames. It was not immediately clear if he did it in protest or in a failed suicide attempt.
After Abdel put himself on fire, witnesses attempted to contain the flames before a cab driver used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. Abdel was transported to a serious hospital, where he is said to be in a stable condition.
The act appeared to be similar to a protest earlier this month in Tunisia, leading to last week's rebellion that led to Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's resignation. There, Mohsen Bouterfif set himself on fire after a meeting with the mayor of Boukhadra in Tebessa who was unable to offer Bouterfif a job and a house.
Copyright 2010 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved.
