News out of Illinois

A woman is in critical condition after police say she was set on fire while riding a train in Chicago on Nov. 17.

The 26-year-old woman was riding the Chicago Transit Authority train near the Clark and Lake station in the Loop district at about 9:25 p.m. when she got into a "verbal altercation" with a man who was about 45 years old, the Chicago Police Department said.

"That altercation became physical when the offender poured a liquid on to the victim and ignited it, causing the victim to start on fire," police said in a statement.

The train came to a stop and the suspect fled, police said. The woman got off and fell to the ground. By the time an officer arrived, the fire had been extinguished. The victim was transported to a hospital with severe burns on her body, police said.

There was no suspect in custody as of the morning of Nov. 18 and police said they are investigating.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Woman set on fire while riding Chicago train; suspect on the run

Reporting by Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect