Vietnamese girl Spontaneously Combusts multiple times

The case of the 15-year-old girl whose hair went up in flames is not unique but has yet to be explained scientifically, a Vietnamese scientist said Wednesday.

Nguyen Phuc Giac Hai, a researcher at the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology, said some 50 cases of spontaneous combustion of the human body had been reported worldwide.

There is a theory it is caused by discharge of electricity by the body.

The ninth grade student in the northern Nam Dinh province found her hair combusting spontaneously thrice on Monday and Tuesday.

Her teacher and classmates discovered her hair going up in flames and a circle of smoke above her head.

Her hair was singed and produced a burnt smell but, strangely, she did not feel any heat. Doctors found her to be completely normal otherwise.

She was advised to go home immediately from school and the phenomenon happened again, once each at home and at the Central Pediatrics Hospital in Hanoi.

(THANH NIÊN)

By Sun Tzu on 12-01-2007