Headline PH: Man sets woman on fire in Australia

SYDNEY (AFP) – A woman died from horrific burns after a man set her alight at an Australian petrol station on Tuesday, in a gruesome scene that prompted police to urge witnesses to seek counselling.

The 42-year-old woman was stabbed before she and her car were engulfed in flames at a Melbourne gas station, with witnesses reporting that her alleged attacker told them to "let her burn" when they tried to intervene.

The woman was rushed to hospital with burns to nearly all of her body and died hours later, the Australian Associated Press reported.

A 41-year-old man, believed to be the woman's partner, was arrested at a nearby church after a two-hour stand-off with heavily armed police, AAP said.

He was taken to hospital with minor injuries, and police are waiting to interview him, it said.

"Victoria Police are concerned for the welfare of the many witnesses to this morning's incident," police said in a statement.

"Police encourage people to seek counselling."

A truck driver who was part of the morning rush-hour traffic passing the gas station said he stopped and raced over to help the burning woman with a fire extinguisher, but was driven back by a man with a knife.

"(He was) telling her to burn," the man told Fairfax Radio Network. "At this stage she was still rolling around or laying near the car."

"The car was completely engulfed, she was completely engulfed, there was just black smoke pouring out."

Another man then drove his vehicle at the knifeman so people could help the woman.

"I obviously scared him a bit and he ran off," the man told Fairfax Radio.

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