Ohio State University has placed its Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity on interim suspension after a video circulated online showing two people with their clothes on fire at a gathering near the campus in Columbus, Ohio.

The university said it was investigating what it called an extremely concerning incident and had referred the matter to Columbus police and its own campus police. Both people seen in the video are receiving medical care, the university said. CNN reported the suspension, and USA Today also reported the university's action.

The incident appears to have taken place on Saturday, 7 November, in a neighbourhood dotted with fraternity and sorority houses near the university. Columbus police said they were investigating after the video began circulating on social media, and no emergency calls were made about the incident at the time.

What the video shows

The 35-second clip, shared on X, shows a person in grey sweatpants on the ground with his legs engulfed in flames, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, some wearing Ohio State colours. Another person appears to try to use a fire extinguisher on the burning clothing.

The person on fire then lunges at a second individual, whose clothing also catches fire. Both fall to the ground as they struggle to remove their burning clothes while bystanders rush to help. A second recording filmed from another angle appears to show that the second man's trouser leg was already burning before the contact.

The Columbus Division of Fire told CNN affiliate WSYX that the two men were taken to a local hospital in a private vehicle with burn injuries and were in a stable condition. The university has not given a further medical update.

University and police investigation

In a statement, Ohio State spokesperson Ben Johnson said: "The university is aware of this extremely concerning incident, and the individuals in question are receiving needed medical care. Ohio State has placed the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity on interim suspension pending a full investigation, and the university has made referrals to law enforcement."

Columbus police sergeant Joe Albert said the incident appeared to have unfolded at an event on Saturday and that officers were working with Ohio State and the fire division's arson unit to determine whether any crimes occurred. No charges had been announced by Monday.

It is not yet clear whether the two people in the video are students, whether they are members of the fraternity, or whether the incident was connected to a hazing ritual. The university has not explained how the fraternity was linked to the incident. The video does not appear to have been filmed at the fraternity's main house, but at a nearby property on Indianola Avenue, according to local reports.

Steve Mitchell, chief executive of the national Sigma Alpha Epsilon organisation, said its headquarters was aware of the video and was conducting its own investigation, adding that the organisation would take appropriate action to hold those responsible to account.

A difficult weekend for the university

The incident happened on the same weekend that Ohio State's Buckeyes hosted the Oregon Ducks at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, losing the home game 41-28. The fraternity is listed as an inactive student organisation on an Ohio State website while the investigation continues.

Ohio State, which enrols more than 62,000 students at its Columbus campus, has not announced a final disciplinary decision. The investigation by the university, Columbus police and the national fraternity remains under way.