Police suspect hospital bomb linked to Hong Kong protests, as Telegram message warns of ‘more to come’ and demands border closure amid Wuhan virus crisis
- Caritas Medical Centre patients evacuated as accident and emergency services reduced in aftermath of explosion, but no injuries recorded
- Online message following incident calls for strike, closing of city’s borders with mainland to stop Wuhan virus outbreak
Hong Kong police are investigating whether a bomb explosion at a public hospital on Monday is linked to anti-government protest violence, according to sources, suspecting the home-made device may have been detonated to pressure the government into closing the city’s borders with mainland China in response to the deadly new coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.
The incident occurred after a warning two weeks ago by Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu, who said there were “high risks of home-made bombs”, following similar cases police have uncovered in recent months.
In the latest case, nobody was injured when the device went off in a men’s toilet cubicle at Caritas Medical Centre in Cheung Sha Wan at about 2.30am, a spokesman for the public hospital in Kowloon said.
“Staff at the accident and emergency department heard loud bangs in a public toilet, and found that there was an explosion in one of the compartments,” the spokesman added.
“Police officers at the centre were then informed about it, and we will assist police in their investigation. We condemn the deliberate act which caused damage at the centre, and threatened patients’ safety.”