A firefighter who tried to set himself on fire outside Murcia Cathedral on Monday has been taken to hospital for psychiatric care.
The 57-year-old staged the protest shortly before 9am in Plaza Belluga, while donning his helmet and full uniform and carrying a cannister of petrol.
According to witnesses, he shouted that he felt ‘trapped with no way out’, as passersby pleaded ‘don’t do it’ while waiting for emergency services to arrive.
Local police officers were filmed trying to talk him down as flamed suddenly appeared near his feet.
Officers quickly put out the flames with extinguishers and fortunately, the man’s fire-resistant clothing meant he did not suffer any burns.
He was taken by ambulance to Morales Meseguer Hospital, where he is being assessed and treated by medical professionals.
Colleagues said the firefighter had been on long-term sick leave for more than a year due to severe back pain that made his job difficult.
He had recently returned to a retraining programme at the Infante fire station and had been exploring whether he might be eligible for early retirement.
According to those close to him, the pain had not eased and had spread to his legs. Despite this, a medical assessment had ruled that he was fit to work.
As he was taken to the ground following the incident, witnesses reported that he repeatedly cried out about his back pain.
The case has raised fresh questions about mental health support and medical assessments for emergency service workers dealing with long-term injury and chronic pain.
