Woman 'Spontaneously Combusts' While Sitting On Park Bench

A woman is fighting for her life as a result of ‘spontaneous human combustion (SHC)’, it has been reported.

The woman, originally from Mauritius, was sitting on a park bench and engulfed in flames when she was spotted by a passer-by in the north German town of Flensburg.

The passer-by rushed to her aid and attempted to use his coat to beat out the flames, but the woman - believed to be in her 40s - was left with severe burns all over her body, according to the MailOnline.

After being taken to a local hospital she was airlifted to a specialist burns unit in Lubeck where she remains in a critical condition

Prosecutor Ulrike Stahlmann-Liebelt, who is running the investigation, said: ‘The victim has lived in Flensburg for a long time and has family here.’

The prosecutors have not yet ruled out a suicide attempt.

SHC is a much disputed phenomenom and has in the past been used to explain instances of a human burning with no discernible external trigger.

The possible causes of SHC still baffle experts even today but there are studies that suggest alcohol consumption, proximity to potential sources of ignition and other behavioural habits can be a factor.