NEW YORK -- A man set himself on fire Friday afternoon outside Manhattan Criminal Court as jury selection was under way in the criminal trial of former US President Donald Trump, according to media reports and videos posted on social media.

The man was engulfed in flames and was rushed to hospital later.

The man threw pamphlets into the air and poured accelerant on himself, according to the reports.

"I have set myself on fire outside the Trump trial," reads the heading of flyers left at the scene, according to a report by New York Post.

The motivation behind the man's action was not clear.

Starting from Monday, Trump appeared in a criminal court in Manhattan, New York City, in the hush money case, making him the first former US president to stand a criminal trial. The trial is expected to last around six to eight weeks.