Police in New York are hunting an arsonist after a 45-year-old man was set alight in the city’s famous Times Square early on Sunday.
The New York Police Department said the motive for the attack, which occurred around 3.55am, was unclear.
The victim, a 45-year-old man, was pictured being wheeled into an ambulance in a state of shock.
He was left with burns across his arms and face, local media reported, and was escorted by firefighters into the ambulance before receiving medical care.
Officers with the force said the suspect, who is still on the run, was described as last wearing blue clothing and having a medium complexion.
Images from the scene showed a red fire extinguisher left on the floor of the attack on the corner of W. 41st and Seventh Ave.
The victim is said to be in a stable condition at New York Presbyterian Cornell hospital, the New York Post reported.
A nearby resident, Steve Ortiz, told Eyewitness News: “I don’t understand, just very inhumane. Especially in the middle of Times Square, it’s crazy, it doesn’t make any sense.”
The attack comes just months after a 61-year-old woman, Debrina Kawam, from New Jersey, was burned to death in an arson attack on a New York subway train on December 22.
Her injuries were so severe it took officials nine days to identify her using DNA and dental records.
Sebastian Zapeta, 33, has been charged with using a lighter to set Ms Kawam on fire, reportedly while she was asleep.
