Homeless man dies while trying to warm up in the cold

An intoxicated homeless man died in an alley near a busy street in Incheon.

According to a police report released on November 3, a 60-year-old homeless man died from a fire while trying to warm up his body on the night of November 1, when the city experienced a sudden temperature drop. 

The man accidentally set himself on fire while trying to use a lighter to warm up. A restaurant worker nearby found him engulfed with fire and called emergency services (119), but it was too late. The restaurant worker stated, "I thought somebody was playing with fire, but when I looked carefully, I saw that it was a man on fire, so I called for help." 

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The homeless man died before the ambulance arrived.

Witnesses testified that the man had gone into a restaurant nearby about an hour before his death but was kicked out. He complained that he was cold and asked one of the workers for a cigarette and a lighter before returning back onto the street. 

A security camera captured the man struggling to take off his jacket after it was accidently set on fire. 

The police report stated that the deceased had never been married and has no children. 

One officer explained, "We believe that the man tried to warm himself up by setting his clothes on fire while being drunk. We are trying to find and contact his family members."