Woman sets herself on Fire in Luxembourg

A woman in Luxembourg set herself on fire after she was not allowed to open a store. I can't find a story on this on google yet but the images on Getty are pretty dramatic.


It's hard to believe she would resort to something this terrible over something like a store.

Warning: Graphic images
link to pictures

image1 (graphic)
LUXEMBOURG: People try to help the unidentified Belgian woman of Congolese origin (C) who set herself on fire in the streets of Luxembourg, 05 October 2004, after being refused to open a store in the centre of Luxembourg.

Image2 (graphic)
The husband of the woman tries to extinguish the fire.

Image3 (graphic)
An unidentified Belgian woman of Congolese origin runs in the streets of Luxembourg after setting herself on fire.

[edit on 6-10-2004 by AceOfBase]

As someone who survived severe and extensive burns, I can tell you that if she is lucky she will die quickly. If she survives, which seems doubtful based on the intensity and the extent of the flames, this will be an act she will always regret.

Being burned is bad enough. Recovering from burns can only be described as torture. I went through most of my scrub treatment without pain medication as a protest against my being taken off narcotics and put on Darvon.

Recent research indicates that Darvon is about as effective as aspirin and has adverse health effects, as well. I'll never regret my stance on the priniciple of the matter, given the efficacy of Darvon, but the pain was excruciating.

I think you should take down these pictures and leave the link with a warning as to the content. You're giving me flashbacks.

I think burning alive would have to be one of the worst ways to die. And why someone would do this to themself just because they were not allowed to open a store doesn't make any sense. This was a troubled person. Sad.




[edit on 5-10-2004 by zerotime]

Article has been edited.

This woman seemed to be in extreme pain in the photos.
I don't know how long it took them to put the flames out.
Hopefully she did not suffer too much.

Sorry to hear about your experience Grady.
What was the reason for being taken off of narcotics?
Were they just worried about an addiction developing?

Holy s**t what's wrong with people!?!

You have to be seriously mentally ill to set yourself on fire.

She set herself on fire because she couldn't open a store? Oh for Chirsts sakes

Originally posted by AceOfBase
Sorry to hear about your experience Grady.
What was the reason for being taken off of narcotics?
Were they just worried about an addiction developing?

Fear of drug addiction was the sole reason and all current research reveals that the reaction of the body to narcotics is completely different when pain is present. The real threat of addiction was negligible and could have been easily managed.

Thanks for taking the pictures down.

Orginally posted by zerotime
I think burning alive would have to be one of the worst ways to die.

Actually burning to death is not a bad way to go, as all pain stops within just a few minutes, due to shock. As the nerve endings are killed by the flesh being cooked, there can be no pain.

The initial pain is bad, really bad, but it is eclipsed by the lingering pain of recovery and when the pain stops there is the incessant itching for weeks and you cannot scratch because your skin is so tender it just falls off leaving raw flesh.

I was fortunate to have only deep second degree burns, in terms of damage and scarring, but second degree burns are by far the most painful, as the nerve endings survive and are completely exposed to the environment. You are always cold and just the wind caused by a person walking by twenty feet away is enough to cause convulsions from the pain.

Everyday, we had to go to the tanks to soak in warm water and have our burns scrubbed with 16 guage gauze. It was extremely painful. If you were lucky you were the first to go. For some reason, when you were the first to go, the screaming of the other patients didn't bother you and all the patients said the same thing. When you had to listen to the screaming of a dozen patients while waiting two or three hours for your turn, it was nearly unbearable. And, people wonder why my nerves are shot.

When you got back from the tank, they smeared sulfamylonacetate salve all over the burns. It was called white lightening because it was white and burned as badly as the initial burns, but it did insulate the burns somewhat so that when the burning stopped you were less affected by the sensation of cold and the effect of air movement.

I would never wish this fate on my worst enemy.


[edit on 04/10/5 by GradyPhilpott]

I feel for you Grady

A guy I know was burned so bad his ears and nose melted.

He spent the rest of his life in a wheel-chair looking like something out of a horror movie.

I think of him and a couple others when I start bitching about my aches and pains, Mine dont even come close

[edit on 5-10-2004 by Amuk]

Originally posted by Amuk
He spent the rest of his life in a wheel-chair looking like something out of a horror movie.

I don't know how this guy feels and I don't mean to assert that my case was as bad, but I know in my heart that there are fates worse than death.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
I don't know how this guy feels and I don't mean to assert that my case was as bad, but I know in my heart that there are fates worse than death.

I used to think the same thing every time I went to see him "how can you go on?" He died of a drug OD and to be honest I cant say as I blame him.

That women was obviously disturbed, was she drenched in gas? Looks like the flames grew very quick, It seems like that guy in the grey shirt probably also got some burns.

Grady - You said that after a couple minutes you lose your nerves and go into shock, maybe so, but for those minutes that would be living hell.

I think burning alive is the worst way, id rather it be quick and painless, or freezing to death.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
The initial pain is bad, really bad, but it is eclipsed by the lingering pain of recovery and when the pain stops there is the incessant itching for weeks and you cannot scratch because your skin is so tender it just falls off leaving raw flesh.

I was fortunate to have only deep second degree burns, in terms of damage and scarring, but second degree burns are by far the most painful, as the nerve endings survive and are completely exposed to the environment. You are always cold and just the wind caused by a person walking by twenty feet away is enough to cause convulsions from the pain.

Everyday, we had to go to the tanks to soak in warm water and have our burns scrubbed with 16 guage gauze. It was extremely painful. If you were lucky you were the first to go. For some reason, when you were the first to go, the screaming of the other patients didn't bother you and all the patients said the same thing. When you had to listen to the screaming of a dozen patients while waiting two or three hours for your turn, it was nearly unbearable. And, people wonder why my nerves are shot.

When you got back from the tank, they smeared sulfamylonacetate salve all over the burns. It was called white lightening because it was white and burned as badly as the initial burns, but it did insulate the burns somewhat so that when the burning stopped you were less affected by the sensation of cold and the effect of air movement.

Wow thank you for that great mental picture !

no but seriously though I can't even begin to imagine what that must feel like. Worst pain I ever felt was when I broke my left ankle seven years ago playing basketball.

[edit on 5-10-2004 by Ocelot]

Originally posted by Amuk
I think of him and a couple others when I start bitching about my aches and pains, Mine dont even come close

I know what you mean. Im currently getting physical therapy for my bad neck and lower back (old sports injuries I never took care of) and I used to complain all the time about being in pain but I dont anymore. After seeing people in the hospital who have it 10 times worse than I do you tend to not bitch anymore.

Originally posted by Murcielago
Grady - You said that after a couple minutes you lose your nerves and go into shock, maybe so, but for those minutes that would be living hell.

You cannot even imagine. The pain is so intense and all you can think of is to get away from the heat but it is you that is on fire. The last thing on your mind is "drop and roll," but that is what I did, but the ground had been defoliated and consisted of gravel and dead stubbly vegetation. The ground was so hard that we could not dig adequate bunkers and had to build bunkers out of dirt-filled ammo boxes and we used bomb and artillery craters as fighting holes and burn pits.

I could only roll for a few seconds and got up to run again, when a Navy Corpsman tackled me and he and another Marine put out the flames and all of this while taking incoming mortar and small arms fire.

It is a living hell, but to burn to death is far better than many fates I can imagine. Really there is no good way to go and most of us will not die peacefully and painlessly in our sleep or be killed instantly.

You know, most people who know me have never heard this story. I recently said something to my sister about my experience in Vietnam, relative to some event in the news. When she told my dad, he said something like, "Wow, Grady (not my real name) has never talked about Vietnam." The truth is that no one has ever been interested.

I feel bad for that woman doing that to herself, but I hope that the people who literally dove into 4' tall flames emanating from her to help her didn't suffer too badly also.

Originally posted by taibunsuu
I feel bad for that woman doing that to herself, but I hope that the people who literally dove into 4' tall flames emanating from her to help her didn't suffer too badly also.

Yeah I saw in one of the pics some dude trying to put the fire out but he was almost completely engulfed in fire himself. I would run around looking for a bucket of water or some # because aint no way im jumping on top of her while she BBQ's. Especially if she did it to herself.

Originally posted by Ocelot

Originally posted by taibunsuu
I feel bad for that woman doing that to herself, but I hope that the people who literally dove into 4' tall flames emanating from her to help her didn't suffer too badly also.

Yeah I saw in one of the pics some dude trying to put the fire out but he was almost completely engulfed in fire himself. I would run around looking for a bucket of water or some # because aint no way im jumping on top of her while she BBQ's. Especially if she did it to herself.

That's hard to say though, man. If you see someone on flames screaming their brains out without seeing how it started you might take off your coat and do something crazy like that guy did. But grabbing water would probably be smarter.

Note to self: If I ever set myself on fire in protest, running around makes you look stupid and gets people hurt. Do it like this guy:


www.blurrytravel.com...

[edit on 6-10-2004 by Byrd]

I can't even imagine what it must be like to be burned so badly.
Grady, I don't know what to say. I know I wouldn't have been able to deal with what happened to you. I passed out when I had my ears pierced so that should tell you what of a wuss I am.
Ace, if I have nighmares tonight I'll hold you responsible

To Grady, I don't know from personal experience but only what my father told me. He was a medic in Vietnam and during one of his tours he worked in an Evac Hospital in the Burn Ward. From what he told me I would rather die than go through debreiment and rehab. That is where he started drinking. Thank you for your "Grand Tour"

Just a side note, we are an international community with members as young as 11. Do we want them experiencing this? Could this be moved to RATS? I know it won't keep it away from all the kids, those with access will still see it but others won't. Hate to have a kid Google something and their parents blame us for the nightmares the kid has for the next 2 months.

Reminds me of the monk that set himself on fire to protest the chinese occupation of tibet. What struck me about that was the absolute stoic demeanor this guy had as the flames enveloped him. The photo time had of that haunts me. It's a hell of a way to get your message out.