Indian-origin man who set himself on fire in front of White House dies

A MAN who set himself on fire in front of the White House has died.

Arnav Gupta, 33, from Bethesda, Maryland, died in a hospital after suffering burns to 85 per cent of his body. He was reported missing at around the time he was seen setting himself on fire on a lawn at Ellipse Park near the White House.

It is not immediately known why Gupta set himself on fire.

Pictures from the scene show Gupta being blasted with fire extinguishers by US Secret Service staff.

He was immediately transported to a nearby hospital with "life threatening" injuries.

Officials confirmed that US president Donald Trump was in the Oval Office in the White House during the incident.

A spokesman for the National Park Service, which maintains the White House grounds, told DailyMail.com: "At 12:22 p.m., officers from the United States Park Police and United States Secret Service responded to a report of an adult male who reportedly lit himself on fire on the Ellipse near 15th and Constitution Avenue.

"USSS personnel extinguished the fire within seconds. The individual was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

"The incident is under investigation. No additional information is available at this time."

This is the second such incident in two months. On April 12, a man in a wheelchair-type electric scooter lit his jacket on fire outside the White House fence.

He was hospitalised with non-life threatening injuries.