Man appears to set himself on fire outside US embassy in Denmark

Police in Copenhagen say the Danish citizen is out of danger

Police officers and firefighters at the scene outside the US embassy in Copenhagen on Friday. Reuters

A man appeared to set himself on fire in front of the US embassy in Copenhagen on Friday, Danish police said.

They said he was conscious and the fire had been extinguished.

In an update on Twitter, the police said the man was an 18-year-old Danish citizen. He was taken to hospital for treatment but was “out of danger”.

A motive has not yet been established.

In recent months, protests have taken place in Denmark and other Scandinavian countries in which the Quran has been burnt.

Last month, Turkey summoned the Danish ambassador in Ankara to condemn attacks on the Quran and the Turkish flag.

In January, a far-right extremist caused anger when he burnt a copy of the Quran outside a mosque in Denmark, streaming his stunt live on Facebook.