Tuen Mun residents still in the dark over ‘mystery smell’ which sparked protest and clashes with Hong Kong police
- Some blame the police; others speculate that the stench came from an army firing range
- Environment officials note that it coincided with high levels of pollution in the area
Some said the smell in Tuen Mun was similar to tear gas, while others suspected it was related to shooting practice by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at a nearby military site. Firefighters said they did not find any unusual smell in the area. Police denied using tear gas at their operations base in the district. The army was yet to give a response.
The suspicious stench came as winds brought high concentrations of pollutants to the area on Monday afternoon.
At least three people who live or work in Tuen Mun told a Commercial Radio programme on Tuesday morning they were affected by the unknown smell.
A mother of two surnamed Leung said she first noticed it when she was on her way to pick up her kids at school on a Light Rail train at about 3.55pm. Passengers started coughing before she got off the train at the San Wai stop and realised the smell came from outdoors.
“My eyes and skin were irritated, and I kept on coughing,” she said.