Man in his 30s charged with murder after victim set on fire

A man in his 60s has died after being set alight in Bamble municipality, southern Norway, with a 30-year-old man now formally charged with murder, Dagbladet reports.

The victim sustained severe burns in the early hours of Thursday and was airlifted to Haukeland University Hospital, where he later died. Police were alerted at 1:25 AM to reports of a person being set on fire at an address in Herre, Bamble.

A suspect in his 30s was initially arrested on attempted murder charges but has now been formally charged with murder, according to a statement from public prosecutor Tine Henriksen. The accused will appear before Nedre Telemark District Court on Friday, where prosecutors will request four weeks of pre-trial detention, citing risks of evidence tampering.

Defence lawyer John Arild Aasen, representing the suspect, has not yet responded to requests for comment. A third individual, present at the scene during the incident, has been classified as a witness in the case.

Police confirmed the suspect was first questioned on Thursday evening, with further interrogations scheduled for Friday morning. Authorities have declined to disclose details of his testimony.