DHARAMSHALA, February 13: A Tibetan monk today set himself on fire today near the holy stupa of Boudhanath in the heart of Nepalese capital city Kathmandu.

In a photo received by Phayul, the monk could be seen engulfed in towering flames. No further information is available on the identity of the monk or his condition, although our sources in the region fear for the worst.

According to eyewitnesses, the monk was severely burned and was later rushed to a hospital.

Further information is awaited.

Across the Himalayas, as many as 99 Tibetans have set themselves on fire protesting China’s occupation and demanding freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile.

The self-immolation today coincides with the 100 years of the declaration of the “Tibetan Proclamation of Independence” by His Holiness the Great 13th Dalai Lama.

Exile Tibetans and supporters all over the world have planned major events to commemorate the historic event reasserting Tibet’s independence.

In recent years, following growing ties between Nepal and China, Kathmandu has clamped down strictly on Tibetans refugees living in the country.

This is not the first occasion when a Tibetan has set himself on fire in Kathmandu. In November 2011, a Tibetan monk Bhutuk set himself ablaze at the same spot.

He survived his fiery protest and later escaped to India following a large scale manhunt by Nepali police.