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Hong Kong’s MTR closes half of its stations to prevent damage to facilities and reduce risks to human lives
- Closures start early in the morning with 47 of 94 stations closed by 11pm
- Federation of Railway Trade Unions vice-chairman Tam Kin-chiu praises swift move, hoping normal services will be resumed on Wednesday
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Hong Kong’s embattled MTR Corporation on Tuesday closed half of its 94 train stations to prevent damage to its facilities and reduce risk to its passengers and the staff.
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In a statement issued on Tuesday’s night, the MTR Corp strongly condemned the rampaging acts of the protesters, saying more than 20 stations had been subjected to vandalism and arson attacks during the day. The damaged equipment ranged from ticketing machines and CCTV cameras to turnstiles, while fires were started at multiple stations, including Causeway Bay, Diamond Hill and Central.
Early on Tuesday morning, MTR Corp closed three major stations – Admiralty, Wan Chai and Prince Edward – fearing vandalism by protesters who were up in arms against the government on a day marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
“The MTR emphasises that the consequence of arson attacks is very serious...We strongly condemn these unlawful acts that totally disregard the safety of passengers and MTR staff. We have reported the incident to police,” it said.
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Around 11am, the rail operator shut down another eight stations – including Causeway Bay, Wong Tai Sin, Sha Tin and two in Tsuen Wan – after assessing risks.
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