Addition: Arson at Tsim Sha Tsui Metro Station

The case of arson on Tsim Sha Tsui Station has passed more than a week. The incident occurred on Feb.10, 2017 (a day before the Lantern Festival) in rush hour(around 7 pm) and the fire broke out on the way from Admiralty to Tsim Sha Tsui on Tsuen Wan Line, which was one of the most crowded parts of metro routes, leaving 18 injured. Police later arrested a 60-year-old man for arson while the motive and mental state of the arsonist were still under investigation.

It was not the first arson case on MTR. On Jan.5, 2004, also at commuting peak in the morning, a 65-year-old man ignited a bottle of thinner (a chemical for thinning paint or pigment, usually used in arson for its easy-access and high flammability) on the way from Tsim Sha Tsui to Admiralty, causing 14 injured.

This time, setting safety check is being discussed again. In Mainland China, metro stations are equipped with safety check and CCTVs. Once I was stopped by the guards in Shenzhen Metro for I brought defensive knuckles. It was then I got to know that they were actually inspecting fuel and suspicious weapons. Even defensive spray is forbidden to take on the train.

Opponents to installing safety check insisted that safety check could not realize for metro stations held heavy passengers flow. But as far as I am concerned, heavy passengers flow would not be the main impediment of carrying out safety check in that main stops of metros in mainland China were as squeezing as those in Hong Kong. Therefore, safety check can be realized in Hong Kong metros.