ATHENS - A young man died in a central Athens district on Saturday, after setting himself ablaze for unknown motives, police said.

The 28-year-old victim, who is believed to have been an Iranian based on documents found in his wallet nearby, poured flammable liquid on himself in a street, according to eye witnesses. He died in hospital.

Although there has been a sharp rise in suicide rates since the debt crisis started three years ago, such incidents are rare in Greece.