NANCHANG - A man set himself on fire in Fuzhou city in East China's Jiangxi province on Wednesday, local authorities said.

The 59-year-old man surnamed Li from Dongxiang county set himself on fire in front of Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court as of 10:51 am Wednesday. The fire was put out immediately and Li has been sent to hospital, according to authorities.

According to the statement of local publicity department, Li has reported to the court on Nov 12 that the life sentence his son received for robbery in 1998 is too harsh, although they haven't appealed after the ruling. The staff with the court explained the situation from legal perspective to Li, the statement said.

An investigation is underway.