Finland's fatal sauna competition

A Russian man has died in a competition in Finland in which contestants sit in a sizzling hot sauna, aiming to endure temperatures topping 110 degrees celsius, above boiling point.

Vladimir Ladyzhenski, who made it to finals with Timo Kaukonen, the defending Finnish champion, died shortly after both men ended the match with serious burns.

Meanwhile, Kaukonen has been taken to hospital in a stretcher and is reportedly in critical condition.

The organisers of the annual contest maintain that "all rules were followed", but police are investigating what went wrong.

Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker's reports.

Viewers might find some of the images in this report disturbing.

[August 8, 2010]