Melbourne bank fire: man reportedly in financial trouble

The man accused of causing an explosion at a Melbourne bank by setting himself alight was reportedly in financial trouble and had asked banks for money numerous times.

Fire fighters inspect the damage after a man allegedly set himself alight in a bank in Melbourne's Pascoe Vale. (AAP) Source: AAP

Paramedics treated 27 people after a man walked into a Commonwealth Bank branch in Springvale carrying a container of accelerant and set himself alight on Friday morning.

The 21-year-old suspect, named in media reports as Nur (or Noor) Islam, an asylum seeker from Myanmar, had recently become homeless and was staying with friends.