Hong Kong subway train hit by petrol bombs, 17 injured

A man threw a petrol bomb on a Hong Kong subway train tonight, injuring at least 17 people and causing chaos during rush hour.

"A man tried to throw a petrol bomb on a packed train as it was about to arrive at a station.Tsim Sha Tsui and he caught fire," SCMP quoted a police source as saying.

The attack occurred on the line.Tsuen Wan at around 7pm, forcing authorities to close one of the city's busiest traffic junctions.

The suspect said "burn you to death" before throwing the petrol bomb and setting it on fire, police sources said.The bottle is believed to contain gasoline.

Of the 17 people hospitalized, two are in critical condition, five are seriously injured, nine are stable and one has been discharged.

Man on fire at Hong Kong train station. Photo: Facebook

Kwok Pak-chung, the regional police chief, said the suspect, Cheung Kam-Fai, 60, was arrested in connection with the incident. He said he started the fire "for personal reasons".The man was seriously injured and is in critical condition in hospital.

Mr Kwok dismissed rumours that the attack was a terrorist attack, saying there was no evidence of it so far. However, he did not rule out any possibility in the investigation. "Initial investigations show that the incident is not related to terrorism," he said, adding that 160 police officers had been deployed.The fire department mobilized 130 people.

Injured people receive emergency treatment at Hong Kong train station. Photo: Reuters

According to VNE