A man carrying a Tibetan flag set himself on fire outside the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan in New York City on Thursday evening in protest, according to authorities and local media reports.The protester was identified by a friend as Lobga Rangzen, who had reportedly been living in the US for about 20 years. According to the NY Post report, the incident occurred near East 43rd Street and First Avenue in New York City at around 7 pm.Surveillance footage shows Rangzen, dressed in traditional monastic garb, planting a Tibetan flag on the sidewalk before setting himself on fire on a busy street during the evening rush. In less than a minute he fell to the ground, engulfed in flames, as traffic continued to pass by and several vehicles honked their horns.Police officers and security personnel reached the spot and brought the fire under control within 15 seconds. The man was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he was pronounced dead, officials said. Meanwhile, the Tibetan flag remained at the scene for about an hour as police cordoned off the area and conducted their investigation.Police at the scene were seen collecting leaflets, which included the slogan “China out of Tibet”, a message commonly associated with the Tibetan independence movement, also known as the Free Tibet Campaign.According to advocacy group Free Tibet, more than 150 Tibetans have committed self-immolation since 2009 in protest against Chinese rule over Tibet.The Free Tibet movement advocates the restoration of Tibetan self-determination and the return of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, to Tibet. The group says many of the self-immolation protesters chanted slogans calling for the return of the Dalai Lama, the release of the Panchen Lama and more human rights and freedom in Tibet.