Elderly man dies in suicide fall on tracks at Mong Kok East MTR station in Hong Kong
- Train services along the East Rail line were suspended for about an hour
- Police say the man was certified dead at the scene; a walking stick was left behind on the platform
An elderly man in Hong Kong died in what police said was a suicide after he fell onto the tracks at Mong Kok East MTR station on Saturday morning, leading to the suspension of train services for about an hour on the East Rail line.
The 74-year-old man, surnamed Tang, was on the platform for the line when the tragedy occurred at around 8am. He was certified dead at the scene. A walking stick was left behind on the platform, according to media reports.
It was unclear if the man had been hit by a train.
Police said the man suffered from various health ailments, and a suicide note was found. A postmortem would be conducted to ascertain the cause of death.
Alarming rise in suicides among older women, pupils blamed on isolation
The MTR Corporation said the man had entered the tracks area voluntarily, according to surveillance footage. A captain operating a train towards Sheung Shui spotted the man on the tracks and activated an emergency stop.
Staff at the platform also deployed safety measures to prevent other trains from entering the station. Police and the fire services were then alerted.
MTR services from Hung Hom to Kowloon Tong were suspended for around an hour. The train frequency from Kowloon Tong to Sheung Shui station was at one point reduced to every six to eight minutes.
The MTR Corporation said train services on the East Rail line gradually resumed at 9.15am.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, or you know someone who is, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on +1 800 273 8255. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page
