Man sets himself on fire at Rome airport

There was chaos at Rome's main airport on Thursday after a man set himself on fire.

An 18-year-old African immigrant, believed to be from the Ivory Coast, poured a canister of fuel over himself before igniting it with a lighter, according to the Guardian.

He had recently received a deportation notice ordering him to report to police at the Leonardo da Vinci airport at Fiumicino.

His actions were thought to be a protest against the impending deportation.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the man was taken to Sant'Eugenio Hospital and was treated for serious burns, while the policeman who doused out the flames with a fire extinguisher was treated for burns to his right arm.

The incident, which occurred in a customs police office in Terminal 3, forced the temporary closure of an Alitalia check-in area, and caused alarm amongst many passengers.

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