A man set himself on fire after he and two other arsonists set fire to a popular nightclub in front of stunned witnesses.
Footage filmed by a bystander captured the moment a trio of masked men fled the LUX nightclub in Melbourne’s South Yarra shortly before 2am on Thursday.
Minutes earlier, the men were seen getting out of a small blue hatchback and carrying jerrycans towards the nightclub in full view of witnesses on the street.
Upon leaving, a man was seen trying to put out his pants and sleeves that had caught fire after getting the nightclub wet.
A second man attempted to pat down the clothing, while a third was seen pouring more accelerant onto the footpath outside the club.
The trio returned to the vehicle and were last seen driving north on Chapel Street toward Richmond.
Passerby Erik Lund was heading home when he saw the men dressed in balaclavas entering the club.
“I saw a guy kicking this shutter and then I realized something was really going on, not just vandalism,” Mr. Lund said. told the Herald Sun.
A trio of arsonists dressed all in black were caught by passers-by running towards LUX nightclub in Melbourne with jerry cans just before 2am on Thursday.
One of the men was filmed trying to put out flames on his arms and legs after he was set on fire while in the building.
“(I saw them) running in, barging in, the alarm started going off, and then everything was quiet for a minute, and suddenly everyone ran out with fire on their hands and clothes and behind them and everything.”
Lund claimed to have seen one of the men carrying an ax or a sledgehammer.
He called triple 0 and the emergency services arrived to put out the fire.
Up to 50 firefighters and 15 fire trucks rushed to the scene to fight the inferno on the top floor of the nightclub, which took almost two hours to extinguish.
The fire spread to a neighboring clothing store, which was also damaged.
No one was inside either building at the time and no injuries were reported.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident, which is considered suspicious.
No arrests or charges have been filed yet.
Dozens of firefighters were sent to the burning building which took hours to extinguish.
The incident was one of three suspicious fires that broke out in Melbourne overnight.
Arson and Explosives Team Detective Inspector Chris Murray said it was only a matter of time before someone died.
“The behavior of these criminals is nothing short of terrifying,” he said.
“While I know some people think it’s funny to see people set on fire in situations like this, the reality is that we could have killed several people as a result of this fire.
‘We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: it’s just pure luck that comes between a fire that damages property and a fire that kills dozens of people.
“The fire is absolutely uncontrollable and the sheer recklessness of this crime is simply abhorrent.”
“In the end someone will die because of these senseless arsonists who don’t think about the deadly consequences of their actions.”
Inspector Murray urged the public to come forward with any information they may have about the arsonists.
He also called on medical professionals who have treated suspicious burns and pharmacists who have sold burn treatments to speak to authorities immediately.
No one was injured in the bombing, but the nightclub needs a “complete reconstruction” and a neighboring fashion store was also damaged by the fire.
Chapel Street remained closed until mid-morning Thursday due to structural damage to the building affected by the fire.
A community alert was also issued for smoke in the area.
Acting Deputy Fire Chief Mitch Simons said the club would need a “complete rebuild.”
“(Fire crews) found the second floor facility was completely ablaze and flames were starting to break through the roof,” he told 3AW.
‘It’s a complete rebuild, the fire engulfed the entire nightclub area and the roof.
“Once the windows were broken and air came in, the fire really took out the roof and we couldn’t do much.”
LUX bombing was one of three suspects in Melbourne overnight
Two other Middle Eastern cafes are also being investigated after each suffered their own alleged arson attack that same night.
The Kasr Sweets cafe in Coolaroo was partially burnt down when a car crashed into it at 1.10am before another was hit. Cafe Fayrouz in Caroline Springs around 3 am
The Kasr Sweets coffee shop that sells The Lebanese sweets remained cordoned off well into the morning as crews worked to assess the damage after a car crashed into them.
“Emergency services were called… following reports that a car had entered a sweet shop and a fire had broken out,” police said in a statement.
“Firefighters extinguished the fire that damaged the store and nearby facilities. Fortunately no one was injured.
“Police will investigate whether the incident is related to other recent incidents.”
A second car also caused extensive damage to the Fayrouz Coffee.
Residents living in apartments above the cafe were evacuated and asked to find alternative accommodation for the time being.
Dozens of apartments suffered smoke and water damage and inspectors have said residents cannot return until the structural integrity of the building is ensured.
Detectives are investigating whether the fire at LUX and the incident at Café Fayrouz are linked to another suspected firebomb attack in the city’s north.