A man of around 25 years old allegedly set a car  alight and then ‘torched’  himself in a house in  Colenso on Saturday night (March 27).

It is believed that the  man was having a fight  with the residents of a  home in 5th Avenue, culminating in him  setting a car on fire in the driveway at about midnight.

The man then entered the house and allegedly poured petrol  over himself before igniting the flammable liquid. A fire started in one of the rooms as a result.

The house was almost completely destroyed in the ensuing blaze.

Luckily, the occupants of the house managed to get out and were not harmed.

Also read: 2 men nabbed with hijacked vehicle

The man who allegedly set himself on fire fled the scene, suffering severe burns to his body.

Community Response Unit (CRU) and SAPS officers responded to the scene, along with firefighters from Ladysmith. The CRU officers and firefighters fought the fierce flames that engulfed both the car and the house.

The man who allegedly caused the damage was arrested by Colenso police while hitchhiking on the R103.

He was then taken to hospital to be treated for the major burns he sustained. Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or  for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there!