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A man carrying a Tibetan flag died Thursday after setting himself on fire outside United Nations headquarters in New York City, officials said.
Police responded to a 911 call at about 6:30 p.m. and found a 52-year-old man with serious injuries.
The man was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead, the New York Police Department said.
Authorities had not released the man’s name because his family had not yet been notified.
Police said the incident remains under investigation. Officials had not confirmed what led the man to take the action.
A U.N. spokesperson said the incident happened after scheduled meetings had ended for the day and no U.N. business was affected.
The Tibetan flag has long been linked to protests over Tibet’s political status and China’s rule over the Himalayan region.
China says Tibet has been part of its territory for more than seven centuries. The Chinese Communist Party has governed the region since 1951.
Many Tibetans and exile groups say Tibet was effectively independent for much of its history and have accused Beijing of heavy-handed rule.
The International Campaign for Tibet has documented a long series of Tibetan self-immolations since 2009.
The group’s self-immolation fact sheet says 159 Tibetans self-immolated inside Tibet and China through April 2022, and 10 others did so in exile.
AP reported that more than 150 Tibetan self-immolations occurred between 2009 and 2022.
China does not recognize the Central Tibetan Administration, Tibet’s government-in-exile.
Beijing also has not held formal dialogue with representatives of the Dalai Lama since 2010.
The death outside the United Nations adds a new and painful moment to a dispute that has remained politically and emotionally charged for decades.