This document is a biology project investigating the rare phenomenon of spontaneous human combustion (SHC). It provides background on SHC, including typical characteristics of victims and hypotheses for potential natural causes. The document then describes two specific cases of alleged SHC in India - a 3-month old baby named Rahul who reportedly burst into flames without external ignition four times, and his 10-day old sibling who also suffered burns. The author proposes the disease may be hereditary and caused by an inactive gene being expressed due to mutation. They call for further research to better explain this unexplained natural phenomenon.

1. Shubhi,XII-B
2015
Tostudythecause,mechanismand
historyofExplodingManSyndrome
(SpontaneousHumanCombustion)
The picture above shows baby Rahul, a three month
old boy, from Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu,
who spontaneously busted into flames for the fourth
time in august 2013, without any source of ignition!
He was said to be suffering from spontaneous
human combustion (SHC) - one of the rarest
diseases in the whole world. With mere 200 cases in
the last 300 years, all round the world; it hasn’t been
much researched on.
I came through his case in 2013, and didn’t pay
much attention. But recently, in January 2015, I
came through another similar case in Times of India
(I didn’t get the clipping here), where a 10 day old
newborn was diagnosed with same syndrome.
Surprisingly, this 10 day old child was baby Rahul’s
sibling. Now, the news caught my attention and I
researched on it to bring this disease, one of the
world’s rarest syndromes, in your knowledge. Flip
over the pages to know more about this syndrome.
The sole reason of this investigatory project is the
aim of bringing this rarest disease to people’s general
view so that there be some researches to further
explain this- “unexplained natural phenomena”.
Biology investigatory project
Kendriya Vidyalaya Janakpuri
New Delhi

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Certificate
This is to certify that this project work is
submitted by SHUBHI, XII-B, Kendriya
Vidyalaya Janakpuri, New Delhi. The
aforesaid project was originally carried
out by her under the guidance &
supervision of MR. ANWAR AHMAD,
P.G.T. (Biology) during academic year
2014-15.
Principal Teacher
MR. V.K.YADAV MR. ANWAR AHMAD
Kendriya Vidyalaya Janakpuri P.G.T. (Biology)
New Delhi

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Acknowledgement
I wish to express my deep gratitude and sincere thanks to Principal,
Mr. V.K. YADAV, Kendriya Vidyalaya Janakpuri, New Delhi for his
encouragement and for all the facilities provided to me by the school
management for this project. I am thankful to him for his unstinting
cooperation towards the completion of this project.
I extend my hearty thanks to MRANWAR AHMAD, P.G.T. (Biology) and
my biology teacher, who guided me to the successful completion of
this project. I take this opportunity to express my deep sense of
gratitude for his invaluable guidance, constant encouragement,
constructive comments, sympathetic attitude and immense
motivation, which has sustained my efforts at all stages of this project
work.
I can’t forget to offer my sincere thanks to my classmates who helped
me to carry out this project work successfully. I am thankful to their
valuable advice and support which I received from them, time-to-time.
-SHUBHI

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Spontaneous human combustion (shc)
INTRODUCTION
Spontaneous human combustion (SHC) is a term encompassing
reported cases of the burning of a living (or very recently deceased)
human body without an apparent external source of ignition. In
addition to reported cases, examples of SHC appear in literature, and
both types have been observed to share common characteristics
regarding circumstances and remains of the victim. Forensic
investigations have attempted to analyze reported instances of SHC
and have resulted in hypotheses regarding potential causes and
mechanisms, including victim behaviour and habits, alcohol
consumption and proximity to potential sources of ignition, as well as
the behaviour of fires that consume melted fats. Natural explanations,
as well as unverified natural phenomena, have been proposed to
explain reports of SHC.
OVERVIEW
“Spontaneous human combustion” refers to the death from a fire
originating without an apparent external source of ignition. Writing in
the British Medical Journal, Gavin Thurston describes the
phenomenon as having “attracted the attention not only of the medical
profession but of the laity” as early as 1834 (more than one hundred
years prior to Thurston’s 1938 article). In his
1995 book Ablaze!, Larry E. Arnold wrote that there had been about
200 cited reports of spontaneous human combustion worldwide over a
period of around 300 years. The topic received coverage in the British
Medical Journal in 1938. An article by L. A. Parry cited an 1823-
published paper, “Medical Jurisprudence,” which stated that
commonalities among recorded cases of spontaneous human
combustion included the following characteristics:
1. the victims are chronic alcoholics
2. they are usually elderly females
3. the body has not burned spontaneously,
But some lighted substance has come into contact with it.
Alcoholism is a common theme in early SHC literary references,
In part because some Victorian era physicians and writers believed
spontaneous human combustion was the result of alcoholism.

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An extensive two-year research project, involving thirty historical
cases of alleged SHC, was conducted in 1984 by science investigator
Joe Nickell and forensic analyst John F. Fischer. Their lengthy, two-
part report was published in the journal of the International Association
of Arson Investigators.
Nickell has written frequently on the subject, appeared on television
documentaries, conducted additional research, and lectured at the
New York State Academy of Fire Science at Montour Falls, NY, as a
guest instructor. Nickell and Fischer’s investigation, which looked at
Cases in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth century, showed
that the burned bodies were near plausible sources for the ignition:
candles, lamps, fireplaces, and so on. Sometimes these sources were
left out of popular accounts of the alleged phenomenon while they
were hyped as mysterious. The investigations also found that there
was a correlation between alleged SHC deaths and victim’s
drunkenness or other incapacitation that could have caused them to
be careless with fire and less able to respond properly to an accident.
Where the destruction of the body was not extensive, the significant
fuel source was the victim’s clothing.
However, where the destruction was extensive, additional fuel sources
were involved, such as chair stuffing, floor coverings, the flooring
itself, and the like. The investigators described how such materials
helped retain melted fat to burn and destroy more of the body, yielding
still more liquefied fat, in a cyclic process known as the "wick effect"
(or “candle effect”). According to Nickell and Fischer’s investigation,
nearby objects often went undamaged because fire tends to burn
upward, and it burns laterally with some difficulty. The fires in
question are relatively small, achieving considerable destruction by
the wick effect, and relatively nearby objects may not be close enough
to catch fire themselves (much as one can get rather close to a modest
campfire without burning). As with other mysteries, Nickell and
Fischer cautioned against “single, simplistic explanation for all
unusual burning deaths” but rather urged investigating “on an
individual basis.”
EXPLANATION
Some hypothetical, scientific explanations:-
Some hypotheses attempt to explain how SHC might occur without an
external flame source, while other hypotheses suggest incidents that
might appear as spontaneous combustion actually had an external
source of ignition – and that the likelihood of spontaneous human

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Combustion without an external ignition source is quite low.
Benjamin Radford, science writer and deputy editor of the science
magazine Sceptical Inquirer, casts doubt on the plausibility of
spontaneous human combustion, “If SHC is a real phenomenon (and
not the result of an elderly or infirm person being too close to a flame
source), why
Doesn’t it happen more often? There are 5 billion (editor’s note: quoted
in 2011-albeit world actually population reached 5 billion in 1987,
right now, 7.5 billion- as per 2013 census) people in the world, and yet
we don’t see reports of people bursting into flame while walking down
the street, attending football games, or sipping a coffee at a local
Starbucks.” Paranormal researcher Brian Dunning states that SHC
stories “are simply the rare cases where a natural death in isolation
has been followed by a slow combustion from some nearby source of
ignition.” He further suggested that reports of people suddenly aflame
should be called “Unsolved deaths by fire,” stating that the cause
being unknown did not necessarily imply that it had not resulted from
an external ignition source.
Explanation on the basis of natural phenomena
1. Almost all cases of SHC involve persons with low mobility, due to
advanced age or obesity, along with poor health. Victims show a
high likelihood of having died in their sleep, or of being unable to
move once they had caught fire.
2. Cigarettes are often seen as the source of fire, as the improper
disposal of smoking materials causes one of every four fire
deaths in the USA. Natural causes such as heart attacks may
lead to the victim dying, subsequently dropping the cigarette,
which after a period of smouldering can ignite the victim’s
clothes.
3. The "wick effect" hypothesis suggests that a small external
flame source, such as a burning cigarette, chars the clothing of
the victim at a location, splitting the skin and releasing
subcutaneous fat, which is in turn absorbed into the burned
clothing, acting as a wick. This combustion can continue for as
long as the fuel is available. This hypothesis has been
successfully tested with animal tissue (pig) and is consistent
with evidence recovered from cases of human combustion. The
human body typically has enough stored energy in fat and other
chemical stores to fully combust the body; even lean people have
several pounds of fat in their tissues. This fat, once heated by

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the burning clothing, wicks into the clothing much as candle
wax (which typically was originally made of animal fat) wicks into
a lit candle wick to provide the fuel needed to keep the wick
burning. The protein in the body also burns, but provides less
energy than fat, with the water in the body being the main
impediment to combustion. However, slow combustion, lasting
hours, gives the water time to evaporate slowly, which would
require less energy than boiling the water off quickly would. In
an enclosed area, such as a house, this moisture will recondense
nearby, such as on windows. Note that feet often have the least
fat, so don't typically burn. (Hands also have little fat, but may
burn if on the abdomen, which provides all the needed fat.)
4. John Abrahamson suggested that ball lightning could account
for spontaneous human combustion. “This is circumstantial only,
but the charring of human limbs seen in a number of ball
lightning cases are very suggestive that this mechanism may
also have occurred where people have had limbs combusted,”
says Abrahamson.
5. Scalding can cause burn-like injuries, including death,
without setting fire to clothing. Although not applicable in cases
where the body is charred and burnt, this has been suggested as
a cause in at least one claimed SHC-like event.
6. Brian J. Ford has suggested that ketosis, possibly caused by
alcoholism or low-carb dieting, produces acetone, which is highly
flammable and could therefore lead to apparently spontaneous
combustion.(most accepted hypothesis for SHC).
7. Sometimes there are reasonable explanations for the deaths, but
proponents ignore official autopsies and contradictory evidence,
in favour of anecdotal accounts and personal testimonies.
Occurrence of shc in nature- an unverified natural
phenomenon
Larry E. Arnold in his 1995 book Ablaze! Proposed a
pseudoscientific new subatomic particle, which he called
“pyrotron”. Arnold also wrote that the flammability of a human
body could be increased by certain circumstances, like increased
alcohol in the blood. He also wrote that extreme stress could be

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the trigger that starts much combustion. This process may use no
external oxygen to spread throughout the body, since it may not be
an "oxidation-reduction" reaction, however, no reaction
mechanism has been proposed. Researcher Joe Nickell has
criticized Arnold’s hypotheses as based on selective evidence and
argument from ignorance.
Some of the notable examples of SHC round the world are given
below:
1. Henry Thomas, a 73-year-old man, was found burned to death
in the living room of his council house on the Rassau council
estate in Ebbw Vale, south Wales, in 1980. His entire body was
incinerated, leaving only his skull and a portion of each leg
below the knee. The feet and legs were still clothed in socks and
trousers. Half of the chair in which he had been sitting was also
destroyed. Police forensic officers decided that the incineration of
Thomas was due to the wick effect. His death was ruled 'death
by burning', as he had plainly inhaled the contents of his own
combustion.
2. In December 2010, the death of Michael Faherty in County
Galway, Ireland, was recorded as “spontaneous combustion” by
the coroner. The doctor, Ciaran McLoughlin, made this
statement at the inquiry into the death: “This fire was thoroughly
investigated and I'm left with the conclusion that this fits into the
category of spontaneous human combustion, for which there is no
adequate explanation.”
3. The most awaited, our cover story- baby Rahul :
In August 2013, Rahul, a two and one half months old infant
from Tamil Nadu, India, was admitted to the Kilpauk Medical
College and Hospital in Chennai, having four reported burn
injuries since birth. Initial tests ruled out any abnormalities, and
further results led the hospital to conclude that it was not
spontaneous human combustion. The baby’s mother used to live
in another village which had come in the news in 2004, when
residents had complained that their homes spontaneously burst
into flames. Investigations had shown that phosphorus hidden in
cow dung had been present in the huts; phosphorus has a low
ignition point and can cause fires.
4. And, the baby Rahul’s sibling- his 10 days old brother:

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In January 2015, an infant boy from Parangini village near
Tindivanam, Tamil Nadu, India suffered 10% burns, claimed
to be due to spontaneous combustion. He is reported to be the
biological brother of the other child Rahul, who also suffered
burns that were claimed to be the result of spontaneous human
combustion in 2013. However, doctors at Kilpauk Medical College
Hospital have reported the claims as suspicious. When
interviewed about the cases, the physician who treated the older
brother in 2013 stated that "there is no such thing as
spontaneous human combustion. When Rahul was admitted to
the hospital last year we clearly told the parents that it looked
like someone was deliberately setting the infant on fire.”
And the parent’s of baby Rahul were asked to file a police
complaint.
The last two cases, namely, the baby Rahul and his sibling case,
suggest the inheritability of this disease.
I thereby propose-
1. The disease to be hereditary (as it occurred in both the
siblings) and caused due to activation of an inactive gene, either
in parents or in predecessors. The gene must have remained in
recessive state and came up expressing itself in homozygous
condition. (Parents did not suffer from the disease.)
2. due to mutation- the mutagens still being unclear.(since the
disease is extremely rare, and there hasn’t been any close
biological link b/w the people suffering from it all round the
world, throughout the history; The symptoms are same
everywhere and maybe there is a common mutagen in all cases.
If it is so, then a detailed study of the cases is required).
I request the reader, the examiner, the principal, the head
examiner, and all those respected people who are reading these
lines, to appreciate study and research in this field for coming up
with a better and liable conclusion in explanation of this
“UNEXPLAINED NATURAL PHENOMENON”.
Thanks for reading.
SHUBHI, XII-B, K.V. JANAKPURI, NEW DELHI.

10. 10
News headlines:
Three-month-old baby boy suffers horrifying
burns 'after spontaneously bursting into flames
for the fourth time'
A three-month-old baby boy is recovering in hospital after allegedly spontaneously catching
fire - for the fourth time.
Rahul was admitted for treatment of ten degree burns at an intensive care unit in Chennai,
India last week, and doctors at the hospital say he suffers from 'spontaneous human
combustion'.
Medical staff alleges that - for the fourth time in his short life - Rahul has burst into flames
with no external source of ignition.
Rare case: Rahul, three months, is receiving treatment for his burns at a hospital in Chennai, India, after allegedly self-
combusting
According to doctors Rahul may have caught fire due to the excretion of gases through his
skin, which has led to him suffering burns on his chest and head.
‘The baby is stable and treatment is on for burn injuries and scars. Life-saving support
systems are there for Rahul in the intensive care unit,’ said R. Narayana Babu, head of
paediatrics at the hospital.

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He told IBN Live that the baby will be under observation and may be discharged after two
weeks depending on his condition.
Rahul, from Villupuram, an area 100miles from Chennai, suffered the first incident when
he was just nine days old.
Fire boy: Rahul is being examined by a doctor with his mother by his side, who claims this is the fourth time her son has
burst into flames
‘People thought I set him on fire deliberately,’ his mother, Rajeswari told IBN Live.
According to the parents, their community ostracized them, and Rahul’s father, a farm
worker, says they have lost everything as a result of his son's condition.
SHC- PHENOMENON OR FRAUD?
Spontaneous human combustion (SHC) has been implied as a cause of death in a number of
documented cases where burned corpses have been found without an apparent external source of
ignition.
An estimated 200 cases have been found throughout history and victims are often elderly, sick, or
under the influence of alcohol, which would explain why they have not been able to escape the flames.
Puzzled scientists have come up with the ‘wick theory’ to explain such events. The theory is that the
human body can become an ‘inside out’ candle
The person’s clothes are the wick, while their body fat is the wax or flammable substance, which
keeps the blaze going.
Limbs may be left intact because of the temperature gradient, with the bottom half of the body being
cooler than the top.
Some have postulated that static electricity could cause the needed spark.
Rajeswari alleges that Rahul has suffered four episodes of spontaneous fire and suffered
burn injuries, the last incident taking place last month.
However, doctors at Kilpauk Medical College Hospital in Chennai treating Rahul say they
only have the mother's version of events to go on as the baby boy does not have any medical
records.

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'The baby has to be carefully observed. We have to investigate whether the ailment is
genetic,' Prof. R. Jayachandran of the department of paediatrics at Kilpauk Medical College
Hospital said.
'We will carry out tests to find out the kind of gases generated by the baby’.'
Not all believe the mother's story of self-combustion.
'Spontaneous Human Combustion-syndrome is a hoax theory,' the hospital's burns
specialist Dr J Jagan Mohan told The Times of India.
'A baby catching fire spontaneously is not possible. 'Alcoholics have a very small percentage
of alcohol secreted in their sweat but even that wouldn't generate a fire.' Until a proper
diagnosis is made, Rahul is given treatment that is only symptomatic, with the
administration of antibiotics.
Indian baby got self-burnt? And he's not the
first one…
India TV Buzz [Updated 24 Jan 2015, 14:19:24]
You may have seen fictional mutants in X-Men series getting burnt on their own, but
this real life incident of a baby getting self burns will shake you to the core.

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1-1/2 years after a (then) 3-months old Rahul (who was reported to have self-
combusted), another infant from Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu, hogged limelight
for getting burnt on his own.
Yet again, his 10 days old sibling is in the news for the same reason. The baby boy was
brought to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital with 5 % burn injuries on his thigh and
feet. Doctors are yet find any scientific reason for this unnatural occurring.
Even the last time, doctors have told Rahul's parents that they are not at all convinced
with their theory of the baby getting self burnt. Rahul got self burnt for four times in
his short life. Dr. Jagan Mohan, who treated Rahul last year said, "There is no such
thing as spontaneous human combustion. When Rahul was admitted to the hospital
last year we clearly told the parents that it looked like someone was deliberately setting
the infant on fire."
They want police to take a closer look at the matter. When the baby was under medical
supervision there were no signs of self combustion.
There are could be two probable reasons for this unfortunate event, the baby's parents
are doing this for gaining sympathy or seeking attention or it could be some kind of
superstition. While paediatricians are willing offer their services to the infant but his
mother is adamant on not seeking their help.
In between all this, a self style Godman named Napolean has jumped in with a bizarre
claim that the village (from where baby's mother hails from), is under the spell of evil
spirit. Napolean also says that he received a prophecy about Rahul (the couple's first
child born in 2013 and diagnosed with SHC) two days ago and that he had warned the
family members that a similar fate was about to befall the second child.
People can suddenly and inexplicably explode into a ball of fire.
The phenomenon is called spontaneous human combustion (SHC), and it has been
described in many popular books on mysteries and the unexplained. Though this trend
picked up in pre-1900 fiction.

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month-old-baby-boy-suffers-horrifying-burns-
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times.html
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