Spontaneous Human Combustion

A woman in her 40s was engulfed in flames as she relaxed on a park bench in Flensburg, Germany.

16:28 05 November 2015

A woman in her 40s suffered from spontaneous human combustion (SHC) while relaxing at a park in Germany. She is now in critical condition at a specialist burns unit in Lubeck where she was airlifted following the bizarre incident.

 

Eyewitnesses said that the woman, who is believed to be from Mauritius, was suddenly engulfed in flames and she was severely burned by the time a man used his jacket to beat out the fire. Prosecutor Ulrike Stahlmann-Liebelt, who is investigating the incident said: “The victim has lived in Flensburg for a long time and has family there.”

 

SHC is a term used when a human body goes up in flames without an apparent external source of ignition. Although the exact cause is yet to be determined, forensic investigations said it could be linked to the victim’s behaviour and habits, alcohol consumption and proximity to potential sources of ignition, and the behaviour of fires that consume melted fats.

 

Meanwhile, prosecutor Stahlmann-Liebelt said that they are not ruling out the possibility that the woman intentionally set herself on fire in an attempt to commit suicide.