Woman sets fire to self in center of Kiev

Yesterday, at 15.30 (Kiev Time), in the main square of Ukrainian capital – Maidan Nezalezhnosti, - before cameras of the People’s Platform TV program, V.Goncharova, citizen of Feodosia, committed self-immolation. She poured over herself fluid from a bottle she brought about her and set herself on fire. This happened before the very eyes of about 100 people. Some of them even ran away, while others dashed to the woman and tried to put out fire. Among the second were journalists of Inter TV channel, who were just shooting the program.

According to Ukrainian information agency Obozrevatel, the programs director Alexandr Pilipets and his aids who were at a distance of several meters managed to extinguish the fire and to rescue the Feodosia citizen.

According to the director of People’s Platform program, A. Pilipets, at 15.45 he called ambulance. Literally in 10 minutes, the doctors arrived. After having examined the women, they concluded that the burns were of a minimal degree and that nothing threatened her health.

According to the woman, the act of self-immolation was the “last step” she could take to achieve justice. Goncharova reported that her son, a fireman, had practically lost his legs while executing his duty.

The fireman’s mother had addressed different institutions, demanding a compensation; however, everywhere she went, she received only formal replies. Therefore, she had nothing better to do than to commit self-immolation. Alexandr Gorobets PRAVDA.Ru Kiev Ukraine

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/03/12/38149.html