On Wednesday a disappointed lover in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province courted his former girlfriend with a love-or-death threat.

The man had broken up with his girlfriend, surnamed Dong, several months ago. When he attempted to win her back, she rejected him.

The 20-year-old man carrying a gas tank and a bouquet of roses arrived at Dong's residence on Wednesday and began shouting her name.

When no one responded, the man opened the valve of the gas tank. Police rushed to the spot and snatched a lighter out of his hand. The incident is under police investigation.