Life of Sofia Self-Immolator Still in Danger

The life of the 52-year-old man who set himself on fire in front of the presidential palace in downtown Sofia remains in danger, newly appointed caretaker Health Minister Nikolay Petrov said Thursday.

Petrov told bTV that the man's condition may worsen, since he suffered a heart attack two weeks ago.

52-year-old blacksmith Dimitar Dimitrov set himself of fire Wednesday afternoon. Security guards extinguished the flames and he was taken to hospital with 25% burns.

Dimitrov's motives are still unclear. However, the incident follows weeks of massive protests against poverty and corruption in the Balkan country.

Three men passed away over the past month after setting themselves on fire during massive anti-stagnation protests in the Balkan country.

53-year-old Ventsislav Vasilev, who set himself on fire in Radnevo on February 26, having explained he has long lived in great poverty, passed away on March 10.

On March 3, Plamen Goranov, 36, died in Varna, after having set himself on fire on February 20, as an extreme act of political protest. Goranov, who protested against the corrupt authorities in the Black Sea city, became a symbol of the nationwide rallies, with media describing him as "the Bulgarian Jan Palach."

On February 19, 26-year-old Traian Marechkov set himself on fire and died soon after in Veliko Tarnovo, having explained he is too despaired to live on.

President Rosen Plevneliev installed a caretaker Cabinet on Wednesday after last month's resignation of the center-right GERB government that was triggered by the massive protests.