At least 15 people have been injured after a man threw a molotov cocktail petrol bomb on a Hong Kong MTR train.
According to Hong Kong Free Press, the incident occurred at 7.14pm local time at Tsim Sha Tsui Station. The media agency reports that a man hurled a molotov cocktail petrol bomb on an MTR train.
SCMP reports that a police source said, “A man tried to hurl a lit Molotov cocktail (petrol bomb) on board a packed train when it was about to reach TST platform and he caught fire.”
The first carriage of the train caught fire, which was later put out. The paper reports that at least 15 people were injured.
Police have not ruled out that the incident may have been a case of attempted self-immolation. SCMP reports that no arrests have been made whilst HKFP state that one man was arrested for arson but is undergoing surgery due to his injuries.
TVB reports that a man attempted to set fire to himself suffered Grade 3 burns and was unconscious upon being sent to hospital.
Tsim Sha Tsui Station has remained closed and police have since deployed an anti-terrorism team.
“Extra traveling time can be expected on the Tsuen Wan Line. Please allow more time for travel. More details to follow,” the MTR said in a statement on its official website. “MTR staff are handling the situation,” it said.
1923 Severe delay on Tsuen Wan Line due to smoke on train at Tsim Sha Tsui. Consider other transport means
— MTR Service Update (@mtrupdate) February 10, 2017
SCMP quotes interior designer Ray Chau, 27, who was traveling to Mong Kok when he heard the train’s captain announce that all passengers had to disembark at Tsim Sha Tsui Station.
“I saw [fire] two compartments away, there was a lot of smoke because … smoke in one compartment quickly filled the entire train,” he said. That train journey felt particularly long. There was nothing we could do but to inhale the smoke.”
“One minute we were all playing with our phones, the next there was smoke everywhere. Some people thought there was an explosion, many people were screaming.”
Chau recalled seeing a burned victim upon on the platform, “One man was completely on fire, his long trousers became shorts … he crawled and fell, others helped to put out the fire.”
Warning: This video contains graphic content
“The smoke came from nowhere and spread very quickly – I just took a photo then I had to use my jacket cover my nose,” commuter Grace Yip told HKFP.
Chief executive contenders Carrie Lam and John Tsang both said they were shocked at the incident and expressed their condolences to the injured.
The MTR last suffered a major fire incident in 2004 when an arson attack resulted in 14 minor injuries.
Fwd: 尖沙咀最新 pic.twitter.com/gxMuwE46Wq
— Dualman 刁民 (@Dualman) February 10, 2017
MTR now pic.twitter.com/JhMEHhAOxa
— Galileo Cheng (@galileo44) February 10, 2017
TST Station now pic.twitter.com/KwHfoVxgpZ
— Galileo Cheng (@galileo44) February 10, 2017
