Three people remain in critical condition after an alleged firebomb attack on the Hong Kong metro, which hurt at least 16 other commuters.

One man, Cheung Kam-fai, 60, was arrested following the incident at Tsim Sha Tsui station, on the Tsuen Wan Line, during the Friday evening rush hour.

He has now been charged with arson.

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Police District Commander Kwok Pak-chung said as the suspect was being taken to a hospital, he told rescuers that he was the one who set the fire, and that he had done so for an unspecified personal reason.

"He was incoherent," Mr Kwok said, adding that police believe he used a flammable liquid.

Officials said there was no evidence to indicate the fire was a terror attack.

The youngest victim is Audrey Ko, a 15-year-old student who suffered burns to her legs, the South China Morning Post reported.

Footage posted to social media showed a chaotic and confused scene at the station.

Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures Show all 50 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures 1/50 9 September 2019 A firefighter assesses the fire spreading across land on Long Gully Road in the town of Drake, Australia. A number of homes have been destroyed by bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland. EPA 2/50 8 September 2019 Damaged homes after hurricane Dorian devastated Elbow Key Island in Hope Town, Bahamas. The hurricane hit the island chain as a category 5 storm and battered them for two days before moving north. Getty 3/50 7 September 2019 An artist performs on Tverskaya street during celebrations marking the 872nd anniversary of the city of Moscow. AFP/Getty 4/50 6 September 2019 Children play football next to a defaced portrait of Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Harare on the day he died, aged 95. 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Discovering the Pink Meanie in its early ephyra stage meant the team could study its growth rate which turned out to be very quick as it grew to the metaephyra stage in about a week and a half. The Mexican pink meanie (Drymonema larsoni) was only discovered in the year 2000. A Mediterranean relative, known as the Big Pink Jellyfish (Drymonema dalmatinum) has been known to science since the 1800s but when spotted in 2014 it had been almost 70 years since the last sighting. These jellies are incredibly rare and this new South African species is no exception. EPA 40/50 1 August 2019 Palestinian men breathe fire on the beach as entertainment for children during the summer vacation in Gaza City. AFP/Getty 41/50 31 July 2019 A woman rows a boat through the lotus plants on the waters of Dal Lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir. The lake is a popular tourist destination because of its floating gardens and lotus flowers. 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EPA 6/50 4 September 2019 A police office removes burning tires from the road, as protesters set up fires to block traffic along Airport Road in Abuja, Nigeria. Reuters 7/50 3 September 2019 A riot police officer throws a teargas canister as looters make off with goods from a store in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, South Africa. Police had earlier fired rubber bullets as they struggled to stop looters who targeted businesses as unrest broke out in several spots in and around the city. AP 8/50 2 September 2019 A boat off the island of Santa Cruz in California burns in the early hours of Monday morning. More than 30 people were on board the boat, which is thought to have been on a three-day diving trip. EPA 9/50 1 September 2019 Flowers are laid in a hole in a wall as people gather in the gym of a school, the scene of the hostage crisis, in memory of victims on the fifteenth anniversary of the tragedy in Beslan, North Ossetia region, Russia. More than 330 people, including 186 children, died as a result of the terrorist attack at the school. AP 10/50 31 August 2019 A man sits in front of riot officers during the rally 'Calling One Hundred Thousands Christians Praying for Hong Kong Sinners' in Hong Kong, China. EPA 11/50 30 August 2019 A migrant forces his way into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Over 150 migrants made their way into Ceuta after storming a barbed-wire border fence with Morocco. AFP/Getty 12/50 A beagle jumps through hoops during a show at the Pet Expo Championship 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. Although the four-day expo is primarily dog oriented it features a wide array of stalls catering to pet owners' needs as well as showcasing a variety of animals including reptiles, birds, ferrets, and rabbits. EPA 13/50 28 August 2019 Baby elephants rub their trunks against a tree at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. Countries that are part of an international agreement on trade in endangered species agreed on Tuesday to limit the sale of wild elephants, delighting conservationists but dismaying some of the African countries involved. AP 14/50 27 August 2019 Burning rubbles in the market of Bouake, central Ivory Coast, after a fire broke overnight. AFP/Getty 15/50 26 August 2019 French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, second from left, sits between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel as they take part in a meeting at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France. The Canadian Press via AP 16/50 25 August 2019 A Brazillian Air Force jet drops water to fight a fire in the Amazon rainforest in the state of Rondonia, Brazil. EPA 17/50 24 August 2019 A police officer prepares to strike a protester as clashes erupt during a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong's Kowloon Bay. AFP/Getty 18/50 23 August 2019 Oxfam activists in costumes depicting leaders of the G7 nations protest in Biarritz, France on the day before the summit is due to be held there. AFP/Getty 19/50 22 August 2019 A vendor sits as she sells models of the Hindu deity Krishna on display at a roadside ahead of the 'Janmashtami' festival in Chennai. 20/50 21 August 2019 A girl reacts next to Pope Francis as he leads the weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican. Reuters 21/50 20 August 2019 A masked dancer takes part in the Nil Barahi mask dance festival, an annual event during which dancers perform while posing as various deities that people worship to seek blessings, in Bode, Nepal. Reuters 22/50 19 August 2019 Protesters take to the street to face off with Indonesian police in Manokwari, Papua. The riots broke out, with a local parliament building being torched, as thousands protested allegations that police tear-gassed and arrested students who supported the restive region's independence. AFP/Getty 23/50 18 August 2019 People survey the destruction after an overnight suicide bomb explosion that targeted a wedding reception in Kabul, Afghanistan. At least 63 people, mostly wedding guests from the Shi'ite Muslim community, were killed and more than 180 injured when a suicide bomber attacked a wedding hall. EPA 24/50 17 August 2019 A man retrieves his prize after climbing up a greased pole during a competition held as part of Independence Day celebrations at Ancol Beach in Jakarta. Indonesia is celebrating its 74th anniversary of independence from the Dutch colonial rule. AP 25/50 16 August 2019 Swiss pianist and composer Alain Roche plays piano suspended in the air at dawn during the 20th "Jeux du Castrum", a multidisciplinary festival in Switzerland. AFP/Getty 26/50 15 August 2019 Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako bow during a memorial service ceremony marking the 74th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two, in Tokyo, Japan. Reuters 27/50 14 August 2019 A woman walks with a Kashmir's flag to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir, during a ceremony to celebrate Pakistan's 72nd Independence Day at the Mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi, Pakistan. Reuters 28/50 13 August 2019 The extraordinary moment a volcano erupted, shooting luminous hot lava from the surface, as a lightning bolt striked the centre of the mountain. Photographer Martin Reitze, 55, captured rare images of volcanic ash escaping from the Ebeko volcano in Russia whilst the lightning froze the ash cloud in time. Martin, from Munich, was standing around a kilometre away from the northern crater of the volcano when it erupted. The volcano expert said: "The strong lightning which shows in the image is a very rare exception, as it was much stronger than usual." Martin Reitze/SWNS 29/50 12 August 2019 People swim in a public bath pool in Zalakaros, Hungary. Some regions of the country have been issued the highest grade of warning by the National Meteorological Service as the temperatures may reach 33-38 centigrade. EPA 30/50 11 August 2019 A pro-democracy protester is held by police outside Tsim Sha Tsui Police station during a demonstration against the controversial extradition bill in Hong Kong. AFP/Getty 31/50 10 August 2019 Muslim pilgrims make their way down on a rocky hill known as Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. AP 32/50 9 August 2019 Waves hit a sea wall in front of buildings in Taizhou, China's eastern Zhejiang province. China issued a red alert for incoming Super Typhoon Lekima which is expected to batter eastern Zhejiang province early on August 10 with high winds and torrential rainfall. AFP/Getty 33/50 8 August 2019 A herder struggles with his flock across a motorway at the city cattle market, ahead of the Eid al-Adha in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Eid al-Adha is the holiest of the two Muslims holidays celebrated each year, it marks the yearly Muslim pilgrimage (Hajj) to visit Mecca, the holiest place in Islam. Muslims slaughter a sacrificial animal and split the meat into three parts, one for the family, one for friends and relatives, and one for the poor and needy. EPA 34/50 7 August 2019 Kazakh servicemen perform during a ceremony opening the International Army Games at the 40th military base Otar in Zhambyl Region, Kazakhstan. Reuters 35/50 6 August 2019 Paleontologist Naturalis Anne Schulp takes part in the construction of the skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Rex called Trix in Naturalis in Leiden, The Netherlands. After a month-long tour of Europe, Trix is home in time for the opening of the new museum. AFP/Getty 36/50 5 August 2019 Flowers paying tribute to the eight-year-old boy who died after he was pushed under a train at Frankfurt am Main's station. The horrific crime happened last week and has led politicians to call for heightened security. AFP/Getty 37/50 4 August 2019 Mourners take part in a vigil near the border fence between Mexico and the US after a mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso killed 20 people. The suspected gunman behind shooting is believed to be a 21-year-old white man called Patrick Crusius. Reuters 38/50 3 August 2019 Pramac Racing's rider Jack Miller in action during a practice session at the Motorcycling Grand Prix of the Czech Republic. The race will take place on 4 August. EPA 39/50 2 August 2019 An extremely rare Pink Meanie jellyfish on display at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town. The Pink Meanie was discovered during a nightlight jellyfish dive by the collections team in the waters around Robben Island and in Cape Town Harbour. Pink Meanies are jellyvorous, meaning they feed on other jelly species by reeling them in with their long tentacles. Discovering the Pink Meanie in its early ephyra stage meant the team could study its growth rate which turned out to be very quick as it grew to the metaephyra stage in about a week and a half. The Mexican pink meanie (Drymonema larsoni) was only discovered in the year 2000. A Mediterranean relative, known as the Big Pink Jellyfish (Drymonema dalmatinum) has been known to science since the 1800s but when spotted in 2014 it had been almost 70 years since the last sighting. These jellies are incredibly rare and this new South African species is no exception. EPA 40/50 1 August 2019 Palestinian men breathe fire on the beach as entertainment for children during the summer vacation in Gaza City. AFP/Getty 41/50 31 July 2019 A woman rows a boat through the lotus plants on the waters of Dal Lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir. The lake is a popular tourist destination because of its floating gardens and lotus flowers. EPA 42/50 30 July 2019 An effigy of demon Ghantakarna is burnt to symbolize the destruction of evil and belief to drive evil spirits and ghost, during the Ghantakarna festival at the ancient city of Bhaktapur, Nepal. Reuters 43/50 29 July 2019 Hundreds of hot air balloons take part in the Great Line at the Mondial Air Ballons festival, in an attempt to break the 2017 record of 456 balloons aligning in an hour during the biggest meeting in the world, in Chambley, France. Reuters 44/50 28 July 2019 Anti-extradition bill protesters with umbrellas attend a rally against the police brutality in Hong Kong. EPA 45/50 27 July 2019 A general view of stalls closed following yesterday's volcanic eruption at the tourism area of Mount Tangkuban Parahu in the north of Bandung, West Java province, Indonesia. Reuters 46/50 26 July 2019 Protesters rally against a controversial extradition bill in the arrivals hall at the international airport in Hong Kong. AFP/Getty 47/50 25 July 2019 The pack rides in a valley during the eighteenth stage of the 106th edition of the Tour de France cycling race between Embrun and Valloire. AFP/Getty 48/50 24 July 2019 Former special counsel Robert Mueller is sworn in to testify before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the investigation into Russian Interference of the 2016 Presidential Election. Reuters 49/50 23 July 2019 People cool down at the fountains of Trocadero during a heatwave in Paris. EPA 50/50 22 July 2019 Activists burn an effigy of President Rodrigo Duterte, depicted as a sea monster, during a protest near congress. This is to coincide with his state of the nation address in Manila. AFP/Getty

Fires burned inside a train carriage and commuters used clothes to try and put out flames on a man’s legs.

The station was closed after the fire but reopened a day later.

In the aftermath of the incident, it emerged that only around 50 per cent of Hong Kong metro trains are fitted with CCTV.

The carriage the fire took place on was not fitted with a camera and it is feared this could hamper the investigation.</s>Man detained for arson on Hong Kong metro train, at least 17 injured

A fire broke out on Friday inside a Hong Kong underground train near a busy station, with at least 17 people being injured and a man being detained after claiming that he has set fire with a Molotov cocktail.

The fire broke out at around 7:00 local time inside an underground train crossing the Vitoria Harbor for the busy Tsim Sha Tsui station, forcing the train to stop at the station and all the passengers to be evacuated, public broadcaster RTHK reported.

Footages from social media show flame and smoke from inside the train and several people burned.

The injured, two of whom in severe condition, were sent to nearby hospitals.

A man at the age of around 60 claimed that he set the fire with a Molotov cocktail. The police has detained the man and has been investigating his motive,a police officer told media outside the station, which has been temporarily closed.

The counter-terrorism response unit has been deployed at the scene. – CRI</s>At least 18 people were injured Friday evening after a man started a fire on a crowded Hong Kong metro train, police said.

The victims have been transferred to local hospitals, although their conditions are not known, Hong Kong officials said.

A 60-year-old man has been arrested and accused of arson, Hong Kong police said at press conference Friday.

The man, whose last name is Cheung, was critically injured and told police he set the fire, authorities said.

Police said they believe the fire was an isolated incident carried out for personal reasons. There is no evidence it was terror-related, they said.

The fire happened at the Tsim Sha Tsui station on the Tsuen Wan Line. The station, one of the busiest on Hong Kong’s Mass Transit Railway, has been closed for the time being.

Video and pictures circulating on social media show a man with his trousers on fire, lying on the floor of the station platform as other passengers frantically put out the flames.

In a statement, Leung Chun-ying, Hong Kong’s chief executive, said he’s paying close attention to the incident and has asked all departments involved to put their full efforts into the investigation.

Leung expressed his deepest condolences to the injured and wished them a quick recovery.

He also asked Hong Kong’s secretary for food and health to visit the injured in the hospital.</s>A police officer stands guard in front of a subway station in Hong Kong, Friday, Feb. 10, 2017. Hong Kong authorities say they have arrested a man for arson after a fire broke out in a subway car, injuring 13 people. Police said there was no evidence to indicate the fire Friday evening was a terror attack. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong authorities have arrested a man for arson after a fire broke out in a subway car during rush hour Friday in a busy tourist district, injuring 18 people, two of them critically.

Police said there was no evidence to indicate the fire was a terror attack. Police District Commander Kwok Pak-chung said the 60-year-old man told rescuers as he was being taken to a hospital that he was the one who set the fire, and that he had done so for an unspecified personal reason.

"He was incoherent," Kwok said, adding that police believe he used a flammable liquid.

Videos circulating on social media showed a chaotic scene of a fire inside the subway car and a man lying on the platform as people frantically used clothing to try to put out flames on his pants.

In addition to the two in critical condition, six others were in serious condition, and 10 were stable, police said. The injured included seven males and 11 females, but the information provided by the government did not indicate whether it included the suspect.

Hundreds of police and firefighters responded at 7:14 p.m. to the fire, which shut down the busy Tsim Sha Tsui station in downtown Kowloon.

Such incidents are rare in Hong Kong, a wealthy Asian financial center that has a reputation for being safe and has relatively little violent crime.</s>A fire on a train carriage during rush hour in Hong Kong has left 18 people injured, two of them critically.

Police have arrested a man on suspicion of arson and said there was no evidence to indicate the fire was a terror attack.

Videos circulating on social media showed a chaotic scene of a fire inside the train.</s>HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong authorities have arrested a man for arson after a fire broke out in a subway car on Friday, injuring 13 people.

Police said there was no evidence to indicate the fire was a terror attack. Police District Commander Kwok Pak-chung said the 60-year-old man told rescuers as he was being taken to a hospital that he was the one who set the fire, and that he had done so for an unspecified personal reason.

Videos circulating on social media showed a chaotic scene of a fire inside the subway car and a man lying on the platform as people frantically used clothing to try to put out flames on his pants.

Hundreds of police and firefighters responded to the fire, which shut down the busy Tsim Sha Tsui station in downtown Kowloon.

Such incidents are rare in Hong Kong, a wealthy Asian financial center that has a reputation for being safe and has relatively little violent crime.

This story has been corrected to show that police said the arrested man told rescuers he set the fire, not that he wanted to set himself on fire.</s>One of China’s richest, most politically influential men has been missing for nearly two weeks after an alleged abduction from a Hong Kong hotel.

Xiao Jianhua, a self-made billionaire with political ties to the family of Chinese President Xi Jinping, was allegedly taken from the Four Seasons Hotel where he lives in Hong Kong by a group of Chinese public security guards in the early morning of Jan. 27, according to multiple news sources and those briefed on the incident.

As the incident continues to unfold, critics have called into question the issue of Beijing’s arbitrary power and tendency to meddle in Hong Kong’s political theatre.

Hong Kong’s mini-constitution bars outside police forces from operating in Hong Kong, so as it stands this abduction is illegal.

Hong Kong police later confirmed Xiao was taken to the mainland, allegedly to assist authorities with investigations, according to the South China Morning Sun.

Social media posts allegedly from Xiao that appeared following his disappearance denied he was in Mainland China, instead stating he was receiving medical attention. The posts were removed a short time later.

Charles Tang, a sophomore business major at Suffolk, is from Guangzhou, China but was born in Hong Kong. Due to his origins, he is very familiar with the controversy surrounding “mainland” China versus Hong Kong.

Guangzhou is considered to be similar to Hong Kong because it is liberal leaning so the move from Hong Kong was not very different for his lifestyle, he said.

“As of right now, I do not feel affected by the political turmoil, but many Hong Kongers do since they view the ‘mainlanders’ as impolite,” said Tang in an interview with The Suffolk Journal late Tuesday night. He also said that Hong Kongers do not appreciate people from the mainland and have animosity toward them due to the tourism in Hong Kong.

Xiao’s abduction echoes a similar incident that took place in 2015 when five booksellers were whisked to the mainland by China’s internal police force.

The official explanation for their absence was that they were illegally distributing unauthorized books on the mainland, but some believe they were detained over a planned publication of a book about the romantic life of President Xi.

One of those kidnapped was Swedish citizen Gui Minhai, who has remained in detention for 15 months since being abducted.

Tensions between Hong Kong and China continued to grow, which has led to an emerging separatist movement that has tried to take root in Hong Kong politics and gain strength over the last few turbulent years.

“I think Hong Kong should be able to decide whether or not they want independence and China is meddling too much in our business,” said Tang. He went on to talk about the recent elections of how Hong Kong citizens vote for senators that they vote in elections.

Last year, self-identified separatists won six seats in Hong Kong’s legislature. The election followed two years of China tightening its grip on political reform within the territory.

Two months after the election, China’s communist government blocked two separatists, Sixtus Leung and Yau Wai-ching, from taking seats in Hong Kong’s legislature, according to the New York Times. Both Leung and Wai-ching are members of the emerging Chinese separatist movement “Youngspiration,” that has energized a coalition of unsatisfied Chinese youth.

Formerly under British control until 1997, Hong Kong has been a territory of China even though an international treaty known as Basic Law guarantees it a “high degree of autonomy” through 2047. Hong Kong has flourished with free speech and civic culture until recently, according to the New York Times.

Chinese Parliament was able to renege seats because, legally, they are allowed to interpret Basic Law in any way they want.

The constitutional scuffle ensued when both Leung and Yau used a derogatory Chinese term in the wording of their oaths, according to the New York Times.

Due to the relationship between Hong Kong and China, separatist movements have sprung up to reaffirm Hong Kong’s independence.

The Chinese government has stated lawmakers must read their oaths “completely and solemnly,” and exactly as written to be able to be sworn in. Otherwise, the administrator can bar them for reciting the oath in an “insincere or undignified manner.”

Moreover, the Hong Kong government has rescinded a permit for Youngspiration to set up a stall in the New Year celebrations. Some perceived this as disrespectful to Hong Kong culture.

Most Chinese people on the mainland do not care for politics and what is happening with the people of Hong Kong, Tang clarified. They care more about gossip and scandals.

The decision to bar the two separatist legislators caused outrage among Hong Kong citizens and protests that were reminiscent of the 2014 “Umbrella Movement,” that lasted for nearly 80 days.

The Umbrella Movement was held in defiance of Beijing’s refusal to allow Hong Kong citizens democratic reforms. This movement is what inspired the six new separatist legislators, according to the New York Times.

“After the Umbrella Movement, China cleaned the streets so they looked better than before the protests, almost erasing it and giving them the option to only vote for senators,” said Tang. “This caused the Hong Kongers to riot and many believe this was a tactic for China to show how ridiculous Hong Kong is and that they cannot govern themselves.”

The Umbrella Movement strived to create free popular elections and pushed for the resignation of Leung Chun-ying, the pro-Beijing Hong Kong chief executive.

However, both were unsuccessful and China’s unconstitutional interference with Hong Kong remains a perceived threat.

Lack of trust in pan-democratic leaders has incubated the Chinese separatist movement, gaining enormous popularity from the youth in Hong Kong.

Leung’s level of trust from the public began to slip away when he condemned a publication for public reprimand which citizens found as a threat to their free speech.

Leung’s political future remains in jeopardy. His term ends in March and separatists are gaining popularity among the youth of Hong Kong. The next election will take place on March 26. However, many Hong Kong residents have lost hope due to the election not being a true one, according to the New York Times. A 1,200 member pro-Beijing committee will choose the list of candidates for the election. With a uniform committee, the independent political future of Hong Kong does not look bright.</s>A fire on a train carriage during rush hour has left 18 people injured, two of them critically.

A fire on a train carriage during rush hour in Hong Kong has left 18 people injured, two of them critically.

Police have arrested a man on suspicion of arson and said there was no evidence to indicate the fire was a terror attack.

Videos circulating on social media showed a chaotic scene of a fire inside the train.

A man can be seen in the video lying on the platform with people frantically trying to extinguish the flames on his trousers.

Police District Commander Kwok Pak-chung said a 60-year-old man had been arrested.

Hundreds of police and firefighters responded to the fire at 7.14pm local time, which temporarily closed the busy Tsim Sha Tsui station in central Kowloon.

Hong Kong has a reputation for being safe and has relatively little violent crime so incidents in the wealthy Asian financial centre such as this, are rare.</s>Hong Kong rescue personnel remove an injured passenger after a fire broke out on the city's subway system on February 10, 2017 (AFP Photo/Handout)

Hong Kong (AFP) - Hong Kong police said Friday they have arrested a man for arson after a fire engulfed a subway train, injuring 17 people and triggering the evacuation of a major station during rush hour.

Videos showed chaos on the platform at Tsim Sha Tsui station, with the cabin on fire and one man lying on the platform with his clothes ablaze as bystanders tried to help him.

"According to our preliminary investigations and the statements of the injured, we suspect there was a resident (who) had lit combustible agents," deputy chief fire officer Yau Chi-on told reporters.

A government spokeswoman told AFP that of the 17 injured, two were in a critical condition. Yau said the victims suffered serious burns and had inhaled harmful fumes.

Police said they had ruled out terrorism as a motive.

"We have arrested this person for committing arson," police district commander Kwok Pak-chung told reporters, adding that the man was a 60-year-old surnamed Cheung.

"According to investigation up until now, we believe this incident was related to the personal issues of one person, an independent incident. No information at this point shows that it was an act of terror or an attack targeting public transportation," he said.

"When one of my colleagues brought one of the injured persons to the hospital, the person declared he was involved with the fire and that he had lit the fire," Kwok said.

An unnamed police source told the South China Morning Post (SCMP) that the man had said "burn you to death" before lighting a Molotov cocktail and catching on fire himself.

Photographs taken by passengers and circulating online showed people packed into a smoke-filled train cabin, and firemen rushing injured people out of the station in chaotic scenes.

"One man was completely on fire, his long trousers became shorts ... he crawled and fell, others helped to put out the fire," eyewitness Ray Chau told the SCMP.

"That train journey felt particularly long," he said. "There was nothing we could do but to inhale the smoke."

The city's leader Leung Chun-ying expressed his sympathy for those injured and called for a full investigation.

The incident is a rare occurrence in Asia's finance hub, where the transport network is known for its safety and efficiency.

In 2004, 14 people were injured on the subway when a man started a fire in the city's Admiralty station during the morning rush hour.

Mass Transit Railway (MTR), the company which operates the city's subway, said that trains were skipping Tsim Sha Tsui station, which services a popular shopping and nightlife district.</s>Hong Kong authorities say they have arrested a man for arson after a fire broke out in a subway car, injuring 13 people.

Police said there was no evidence to indicate the fire Friday evening was a terror attack. Police District Commander Kwok Pak-chung said the 60-year-old man told rescuers he wanted to set himself on fire.

Videos circulating on social media showed a chaotic scene of the fire inside the subway car and a man lying on the platform as people frantically used clothing to try to put out flames on his pants.

Such incidents are rare in Hong Kong, a wealthy Asian financial that has a reputation for being safe and has relatively little violent crime.
In Hong Kong, over 16 were injured, and an incoherent man was charged with arson after an alleged firebomb attack on a rush hour Hong Kong metro commuter train. The man set fire to himself and others with a flammable liquid for an unspecified personal reason, but officials found no evidence of a terrorist motive.