Man sets himself on fire near White House

People were left speechless and shocked at a surprising incident when a man set himself on fire close to the White House on Wednesday.

The incident happened on the Ellipse, a park area just south of the White House fence which is popular with tourists.

The man, who wasn’t immediately identified, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Alina Berzins, 17, told CNBC she saw the man set himself on fire.

She said: "He starts running, and then we saw him covered in flames.

"He started to walk. Cops started coming to the area and he collapsed. Everybody was in shock. I was in shock."

A spokesman for the Washington fire department said: "I can confirm that we’ve transported one patient with burns from the Ellipse and we’re now on the scene assisting law enforcement."

The White House has yet to comment on the situation.