The morning of Tuesday July 6 will not be easily forgotten in the small town of Kihniö, in the Pirkanmaa region, about 110 kilometers north from the city Tampere.
According to a statement from the Central Finland Police Department, a man died in this municipality of only 1,800 inhabitants after setting himself on fire in the middle of the street.
The police, who are investigating the event, say that "no crime is suspected" in relation to the events. This is a commonly used euphemism by Finnish authorities when it comes to suicide, a subject that is still taboo for many people in Finland.
According to the brief official information available, the events occurred after 11:00 am on Kankarintie Street, when a 70-year-old man "burned to death in the middle of the street," the police statement says.
The events were reported to the authorities by a person who was at the scene. Several rescue units, ambulances and police patrols moved there. Rescue services found a man "in flames", who died at the scene despite efforts to save his life.
This is the second case of a person who commits suicide by burning in Finland this year.
The previous case occurred in April in Kokkola (central Ostrobothnia).
