A homeless man who suffered burns to both legs and upper body during a fire inside Penn Station late Friday is now believed to have attempted self-immolation.
Police and MTA officials told the Post on Saturday there was no evidence that a second person was involved in the shocking incident.
The 67-year-old man, who police have not yet identified, was spotted by first responders on fire in a remote tunnel not far from New Jersey Transit's 11th and 12th tracks around 8 p.m. discovered by.
He was rushed to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in stable condition. On Saturday, medical officials upgraded him to critical condition.
The victim told police that she woke up to find herself on fire and claimed that someone had set her on fire.
It remains unclear how the fire started, but no crime appears to be involved, officials said.
Although the incident upset commuters, underground crime was on the rise.
Friday's shocking incident comes just days after an unidentified woman was set on fire while sleeping on an F train in Brooklyn on Dec. 23.
“It's crazy,” said Mike Jones, 28, a Bronx school safety officer who attends Penn Station. “I drive through this area from time to time. It's dangerous. It's scary. Two people were on fire, two people were stabbed at two different stations, and two people were stabbed at Grand Central Station – that's scary.”
Brooklyn resident Ashley Cole said she's tired of crime on the subway.
“I don't think it's completely safe. [underground]But I'm not scared,” said Cole, 75. “I try to be aware of my surroundings, but I feel very bad about what's going on. I don't know what's going on.”
Homeless people inside Penn Station told the Post that many of them carry matches and lighters, as well as lots of smoked crack and synthetic marijuana like K2.
In the F train case, Guatemalan immigrant Sebastian Zapeta, who was deported in 2018, was charged with murder and arson.
