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World Press Photo of the Year Awards 2018 winner captures powerful image of masked Venezuelan protester engulfed in flames

Ronaldo Schemidt's photograph beat out 73,000 other entries - including images from the London terror attacks in Westminster and last year's mass festival shooting in Las Vegas - with a breathtaking shot that he took without looking

THIS INCREDIBLE image of a man engulfed in flames has won the prestigious 2018 World Press Photo of the Year award.

It was taken during violent clashes between Venezuelan protesters and riot police in May 2017 and judges said it invoked instant emotion and symbolised a country “burning".

Ronaldo Schemidt was the winner of the World Press Photo of the Year with his photograph of a masked Venezuelan protester engulfed in flames
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Ronaldo Schemidt was the winner of the World Press Photo of the Year with his photograph of a masked Venezuelan protester engulfed in flamesCredit: Reuters
This shot of a young girl caring for a bird she found in a nearby field won first prize in the long-term projects category
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This shot of a young girl caring for a bird she found in a nearby field won first prize in the long-term projects categoryCredit: AP:Associated Press
A woman looks on as Iraqi Civil Defence workers excavate the remains of her sister and niece from her house
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A woman looks on as Iraqi Civil Defence workers excavate the remains of her sister and niece from her houseCredit: AP:Associated Press

Ronaldo Schemidt of French photo agency Agence France-Presse triumphed over 73,000 entries.

His competition included photography from the Rohingya crisis, the war in Iraq and the aftermath of a terror attack in London among other tragedies.

Ronaldo's image of a masked protester was taken in May 2017 while he was covering protests against the regime of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.

The man in the photograph, 28-year-old Victor Salazar, was trying to destroy a police motorbike when a gas tank exploded in his face and he went up in flames.

Alain Schroeder's black-and-white image of young Indonesian jockeys competing in a horse race took out the sports prize
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Alain Schroeder's black-and-white image of young Indonesian jockeys competing in a horse race took out the sports prizeCredit: EPA
Two girls bedridden with 'resignation syndrome' were the subject of an image by Magnus Wennman in the people category. One of the girls has been bedridden and unresponsive for two years, the other six months
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Two girls bedridden with 'resignation syndrome' were the subject of an image by Magnus Wennman in the people category. One of the girls has been bedridden and unresponsive for two years, the other six monthsCredit: AP:Associated Press
Two teams grappling for the ball in a historic Derbyshire football match were the subject of a finalist photograph in the sport category
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Two teams grappling for the ball in a historic Derbyshire football match were the subject of a finalist photograph in the sport categoryCredit: AP:Associated Press

Schemidt said: “I felt the explosion behind me and I felt the heat, and at that moment I turned around, already shooting, but without seeing what was going on.”

According to competition organisers the man survived the incident with first and second-degree burns.

He was pictured as he ran away while a cloak of fire envelopes his body.

Schemidt dedicated the photo “to his family and all the people of Venezuela”.

An image called ‘Waiting for Freedom’, which was shot by Neil Aldridge and featured a southern white rhinoceros, drugged and blindfolded, won the environment category
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An image called ‘Waiting for Freedom’, which was shot by Neil Aldridge and featured a southern white rhinoceros, drugged and blindfolded, won the environment categoryCredit: AP:Associated Press

 

David Becker's heartbreaking shot of a couple at the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017 won the Spot News Stories award
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David Becker's heartbreaking shot of a couple at the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017 won the Spot News Stories awardCredit: AP:Associated Press
An American tourist being comforted by a passerby during London's Westminster terror attacks was the subject of a photo
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An American tourist being comforted by a passerby during London's Westminster terror attacks was the subject of a photoCredit: Reuters
A National Geographic image showing a young girl tending to a rescued baby elephant won first prize in the nature category
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A National Geographic image showing a young girl tending to a rescued baby elephant won first prize in the nature categoryCredit: AP:Associated Press

World Press Photo director Lard Boering told Agence France-Presse after the ceremony: “This is an immensely powerful photo and this is not an easy picture to take.”

An image called ‘Waiting for Freedom’, which was shot by Neil Aldridge and featured a southern white rhinoceros, drugged and blindfolded, won the environment category.

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A photo taken at the site of the Las Vegas mass festival shooting in October 2017 won the Spot News Stories category.

Alain Schroeder won the sports prize with his black-and-white photo of young Indonesian jockeys competing in a horse race.

An image by Toby Melville shows a passerby comforting an American tourist who was injured in the London terror attack at Westminster Bridge in March 2017.

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