MTR knife attack: Suspects remain at large as three Indian asylum seekers recover in Hong Kong hospital
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 22 September, 2015, 4:55pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 23 September, 2015, 3:52am
Clifford Lo
[email protected]
As of this afternoon the three victims in hospital were in stable condition and the police investigation continued. Photo: SCMP Pictures
Three asylum seekers from India who were injured in a knife attack on a busy platform at Jordan MTR station during yesterday’s evening rush hour were recovering in a public hospital today, according to police.
The three men, aged 23 to 31, did not have life-threatening injuries and were each listed in stable condition in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, according to a police source.
To intensify the hunt for eight to nine culprits who are still at large today, the Kowloon West regional anti-triad squad has been assigned to take over the investigation.
Initial investigations showed the attackers included Pakistanis, Indians and Nepalese, according to the source.
“They carried out a daring attack in a busy platform,” he said. “Police will not tolerate such violence and will spare no effort to track them down.”
This afternoon, crime-squad officers were still poring over security camera footages in an effort to identify the culprits and ascertain their escape route.
The three victims and three of their friends were waiting for a train at the platform in Jordan MTR station at the time the attack happened at about 6.30pm on Monday.
“The culprits got off from a Central-bound train and then attacked the three victims with knives before running out of the station,” police said in a statement.
One witness saw the bloodbath happen from a train that was entering the station.
“I saw them fighting before the train doors opened, with some wielding knives,” he said. He described seeing an attack on one of the victims, described as a well-built man.
“A piece of flesh on his forehead almost came off. Another piece of flesh on his left hand was chopped off.”
He said an MTR worker was shouting into a walkie-talkie: “Help! Someone’s chopping!”
Witnesses said the attackers arrived on a train pulling into the station and set upon the victims before fleeing the station. Photo: SCMP Pictures
Terrified passengers did not dare to leave the train until about 30 seconds after the doors had opened, by which time the knifemen had escaped to the station lobby, via an escalator.
Another source with knowledge of the investigation said the motive behind the attack remained unknown. “We have to interview the three victims to find out whether they had been involved in a dispute and whether they knew the culprits,” he said.
Police are treating the case as a “wounding”. Police appealed to witnesses to contact officers on 2731 7239 or 2731 7200.
Police figures show there were 561 reports of wounding in the first six months of this year, a 10.5 per cent decline compared with 627 cases in the same period last year.
