Octogenarian man survives after shooting five times in head

An 84-year-old Argentine man who shot himself five times in the head in an apparent suicide attempt has survived miraculously.

The man also shot himself once in the stomach in southeast Argentinean town of Punta Alta, state news agency Telam reported on Wednesday.

"Despite the serious injuries he was even conscious when we found him. He could not speak, but he sat on a stool and made himself understood through gestures," police officer Herman Ruben Gab was quoted as saying.

The man, who lived alone, reportedly used a very old gun and ammunition. The gunpowder did not explode with as much power as would normally occur, according to the police.

"Otherwise the first shot would already have been fatal," Gab said.