Man dies after self-immolation on US National Mall

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Police officer collects a belt at the scene where a man set himself on fire on the National Mall in Washington DC, 4 October 2013
Image caption,
Police have been collecting evidence at the scene of the incident, in the heart of the US capital

A man who set himself on fire on Washington DC's National Mall has died from his injuries, police say.

The man poured a can of petrol on himself before setting himself alight on Friday. Police are investigating the motive for the act.

Passing joggers used their shirts to try to extinguish the flames.

The man was so badly burned that he will have to be identified using DNA and dental records, police spokesman Araz Alali said.

Officials said earlier that the man was still conscious when he was flown from the Mall to hospital on Friday.

The incident came a day after police shot dead a woman after chasing her car through the centre of the US capital.