Man sets himself on fire outside White House (GRAPHIC FOOTAGE)

A man set himself on fire a short distance away from the White House in Washington, DC. The fire was put out by emergency services, officials confirmed, and the unidentified man has been hospitalized.

The US Secret Service said in a tweet that the man lit himself on fire at approximately 12:20 pm local time, and had been given first aid by Park Police and National Park Service personnel.

A Washington Fire Department (WFD) spokesperson told CNBC that they had “transported one patient with burns” and were assisting law enforcement.

WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE

The man, whose name has not been released, set himself alight on the Ellipse, about halfway between the White House and the Washington Monument.

Footage posted on Twitter showed a figure engulfed in flames as emergency services rushed in to spray fire extinguishers on him. There have been no official updates on his medical condition.

In a similar incident in April, a man using a motorized wheelchair attempted to light himself on fire outside the White House, before being detained by the Secret Service.

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