Beijing - Three men set themselves on fire in a car Wednesday on one of Beijing's most well-known shopping streets.

The official Xinhua news agency quoted an eyewitness, who declined to be named, as saying two of the men from the car were taken away by police and the third man left in an ambulance.

They set their car ablaze at the intersection of Wangfujing, a street in central Beijing known for its shopping, and Chang'an Avenue, a major east-west route in the Chinese capital, Xinhua reported, citing a city government spokesman.

The men's motive was not immediately known. (dpa)