The man who set himself on fire on St Mark's Square in the centre of Zagreb on Tuesday morning is in a very serious condition, said Dinko Vidovic, head of the traumatology clinic.

“At around 10:00 today, a fire victim was brought in. Despite the rapid response of the ambulance service and despite the maximum measures taken by the medical team, the patient’s life is currently in danger due to the extent and severity of the injuries. His life is in danger. He is in intensive care due to burns. He has suffered fourth-degree burns, almost the entire surface of his body is affected. There are even endoburns,” he said.

“The prognosis is poor, but we are giving the man a chance to survive. We will do everything we can to save him. The patient is born in 1967,” Vidovic added.

The man is currently unconscious, intubated and being cared for by three doctors.

“It’s a very serious situation,” said the doctor. The initial response was immediate, he added.

“Everyone in the government is shaken”

Government spokesman Marko Milic said that everyone in the government was shaken by the news that a man had set himself on fire in St Mark’s Square, where the government building is located. He added that the police and all relevant services responded immediately to help the man as quickly as possible.

“We are of course all shaken by the news that a man set himself on fire in St Mark’s Square. The police and all relevant services reacted quickly to help the injured man and extinguish the fire as soon as possible,” said Milic.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic was in a government meeting at the time.

“As soon as he was informed about this unfortunate event, the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Finance and Economy, who were in a government meeting at the time, immediately went to the scene of the accident to get an idea of what was happening, while a doctor from a nearby clinic was already providing first aid to the injured man,” Milic said.

A criminal investigation is underway.

Suicidal and depressed people in Croatia can seek counselling in several places and there are several telephone numbers where they can call for psychological help:

Centre for Crisis Situations and Suicide Prevention: 01 2376 335 (open from 0 to 24 hours)

Blue phone: 01 4833888 ([email protected])

TESA Psychological Centre: 01 4828888 ([email protected])