Man sets himself on fire on National Mall in Washington DC

Friday afternoon on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., a man doused himself in gasoline and lit himself on fire. People passing by rushed to put out the flames.

NPR is reporting the man has died in the hospital due to the severity of the burns. Authorities are searching for clues to his motivation to kill himself.

"Officer Araz Alali, a police spokesman, said the man died Friday night at a Washington hospital," . "The man's name and age were not immediately known, and his burns were so severe that authorities will need to use DNA and dental records to identify him, Alali said."

Joggers and others tried to use parts of their own clothing to save the man, as Friday. The incident occurred around 4:20 p.m. ET, apparently without warning and without a hint of the man's motivations. He was taken by helicopter to a local hospital for treatment. But officials said Friday that his injuries were severe.