A man set himself on fire inside the lobby of a building with Google offices in downtown Manhattan on Friday.

The 63–year–old set himself on fire at 315 Hudson Street around 2.58pm, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) told the Daily Mail.

Video showed the man walking into the building’s lobby before blowing up in flames, the New York Daily News reported. 

Horrified security staff reportedly managed to douse the fire and he was transported to Weill Cornell Medical Center in a stable condition.

The fire is believed to have emanated from the man’s book bag and been fueled by lighter fluid, sources told the outlet. 

The man did not say anything or carry any political leaflets. 

Photos of the scene afterwards showed a singed backpack off the curb of the building, where Google occupies more than 400,000sq ft of office space. The incident did not happen inside the tech giant’s offices. 

A building worker, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the outlet that surveillance footage showed the man first entering the building around 2pm and then leaving. 

A 63-year-old man burst into flames inside a building that houses Google offices at 315 Hudson Street on Friday

The New York City Police Department set up a crime scene outside the building, pictured here on a separate day

He returned to the lobby about one hour later before suddenly exploding, the building worker said.

Another worker said he spotted ‘flames in the lobby’ from across the street.

‘Then the flames were running around the lobby, and security was trying to put him out,’ the second worker added.

Police found a collapsible baton inside the man’s bag, the Daily News reported. 

The worker said a security guard had emerged from the building and thrown the burning backpack out on the street. 

Meanwhile, the other guards helped the man with fire extinguishers.

‘When they brought him out, he was terribly burned, all wrapped in bandages,’ the worker told the outlet. ‘I don’t know if you want to live that way. It was terrible.’

The incident at the downtown Manhattan building, which also houses the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau is, happened shortly before 3pm on Friday

Google’s downtown Manhattan headquarters are at 550 Washington Street, a few blocks from where Friday’s incident happened (Photo of the building in January 2024)

A crime scene was set up outside the building by the NYPD after the incident, in which no one else was injured.

No arrests have been made and an investigation is ongoing, police said.

A source told the Daily Mail that the incident occurred at a NYPD building on site. The NYPD would only confirm that it happened at 315 Hudson Street.

The police’s Internal Affairs Bureau building is housed at that address.

A spokesperson for Google told the Daily Mail: ‘We are aware of an incident that occurred today in the lobby at 315 Hudson, a building we share with other tenants.’

‘While the individual appeared to be seeking access to another tenant’s space in the building, we remain in close contact with local authorities,’ the statement continued. ‘We are grateful to first responders.’ 

Google’s downtown Manhattan headquarters are located at 550 Washington Street in the Hudson Square neighborhood, about a seven minute walk away from 315 Hudson. 

Authorities have not shared any details about the man’s identity or motive. 

This is a breaking news story. More to come.