Story By:  Ana Marjanovic, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency:  Newsflash

This is the horrific moment a man dressed as the Grim Reaper sets himself ablaze at a packed Turkish tourist spot.

Onlookers gasped in shock as the man – complete with a scythe – poured a flammable liquid over his body and set himself on fire.

The gruesome spectacle happened on 31st May near the Galata Tower in Beyoglu, Istanbul – one of Turkey’s most popular tourist attractions.

Astonishingly, several witnesses simply shot selfie videos of the man’s agony instead of calling the emergency services.

Grim footage of the human inferno shows the man – named as Abdullah Cihat Turan P., 28, – ablaze as he staggers over cobblestones in front of restaurant tables.

As the flames grow stronger, he raises his arms to the sky and drops to his knees in apparent agony.

It only ends when two men from a nearby restaurant rush out and douse the flames with fire extinguishers.

Another film shows the man screaming after the flames have been put out with skin and charred clothing hanging from his arms.

A third shows him leaning back on rubbish bags while people tuck into their meals on a restaurant terrace just metres away.

The Istanbul Governorship said in a statement on 31st May: “Today, at around 18.30, a person named A.C.T.P., registered to the population of Meram County in Konya, attempted to set himself on fire with a flammable substance he poured on himself near the Galata Tower in our Beyoglu district.

“With the intervention of citizens in the area, the flames were extinguished and our 112 Emergency Health teams transferred him to hospital.

“The hospital treatment of the person continues, and an investigation has been initiated regarding the incident.”

Local media said the man suffered second and third-degree burns and remains in hospital in a serious condition.

The police also seized the man’s tablet and belongings looking for clues as to why he set himself on fire.

The investigation continues.