The Hong Kong police said two homemade bombs were found Sunday on a train arriving at Hong Kong's Lo Wu station, condemning the perpetrators for "taking a big step towards terrorism."
The two improvised explosive devices were concealed in a plastic bag and placed under a seat on a mass transit rail (MTR) train from Kowloon to Lo Wu, the New Territories.
After the train arrived at the Lo Wu MTR station at around 3:10 p.m. local time, a cleaner found the bag and removed it onto the platform, where an MTR staff found suspected wire devices in it and reported to the police.
The police cordoned off the scene immediately and called explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) officers.
At around 3:50 p.m. the suspicious items suddenly made a noise and caught fire, emitting a lot of white smoke.
Senior Bomb Disposal Officer Alick McWhirter told a media briefing on Sunday night that after examination the EOD officers found the two homemade bombs were viable, and one of them partially functioned while the other was defused by the police.
"Over the past days, weeks and months, Hong Kong has been faced with an ongoing bombing campaign ... We have found powerful homemade bombs designed to kill and injure innocent people. The bombing campaign continues today with the placement of homemade bombs on board a public train," he said.
Superintendent Po Chun-kuen of Organised Crime and Triad Bureau said someone has claimed responsibility on an online platform and threatened to placing more bombs in public places.
Similar claims emerged on the same online platform after a homemade bomb was found in a hospital in Hong Kong on Jan. 27.
The police will examine the ingredients of the bombs and investigate into the perpetrators' motives and whether they were connected with any criminal organization, he added.
Similar attacks have occurred in foreign countries where homemade bombs were placed by terrorists in public transportation systems as a means to threat, Po pointed out, adding that the bombs could have led to very serious damage to the passengers if they exploded on a moving train.
"The police severely condemn these violent extremists who have taken a big step towards terrorism," Po said.
This is the fourth bombing case in Hong Kong in a short period of time, he said, reiterating that the police would never condone these acts and would do their best to bring the perpetrators to justice.
