Man arrested for starting fire at Hong Kong’s Mong Kok MTR station in suicide attempt

A jobless man was arrested on Sunday night for allegedly starting a fire in one of Hong Kong’s busiest train stations the previous day.

Police said they believed the 59-year-old suspect was trying to kill himself, and had no intention of harming others.

He was arrested at about 9.30pm at Un Kin House in Un Chau Estate, Cheung Sha Wan, where he lived alone.

The incident took place just before 10am on Saturday in Mong Kok station near the ticket vending machines. The flames sent panicked commuters and shop staff running for safety.

Police suspect fire at one of busiest stations on Hong Kong MTR to be arson

Assistant Mong Kok District Commander Chung Chi-ming said the suspect started the fire with paper and other flammable materials but grew frightened and gave up on his suicide attempt.

“It was lucky that the fire did not escalate and hurt others,” Chung added.

The blaze died out in about 30 seconds, and no one was injured. A charred mark measuring 1 metre by 1 metre was left on the floor. Train operations were not affected.

Chung said investigators had yet to find out if the suspect suffered from mental problems, but they believed he was troubled by loneliness and health and ageing issues.

He added that the part of the station where the suspect started the fire was not covered by security cameras. A large number of investigators had to comb through footage from surrounding locations to single out the suspect.

If you, or someone you know, are having suicidal thoughts, 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