- Patients evacuated as accident and emergency services reduced in aftermath of explosion, but no injuries recorded
- Hospital condemns attack, police report a ‘lot of white smoke’ but say the bomb was ‘not very powerful’
A home-made bomb exploded at a hospital in Hong Kong on Monday, forcing the evacuation of patients and temporarily limiting services at its accident and emergency department.
Nobody was injured when the device went off in a toilet cubicle at the Caritas Medical Centre in Cheung Sha Wan at about 2.30am, a spokesman for the public hospital in Kowloon said.
"Staff at the accident and emergency department heard loud bangs in a public toilet, and found that there was an explosion in one of the compartments," the spokesman said.
"Police officers at the centre were then informed about it, and we will assist the police in their investigation. We condemn the deliberate act which caused damage at the centre, and threatened patients' safety."
The spokesman added the A&E department could only maintain limited services in the aftermath of the explosion.
About 20 patients were evacuated from the department. Services returned to normal later in the morning.
Detectives and officers from the bomb disposal unit conducted a preliminary probe at the scene.
Chief Inspector Kevin Chong Kiu-wai, of Sham Shui Po district's criminal investigation division, said they had found what was suspected to be a home-made bomb.
"After the explosion, there was a lot of white smoke, and a small fire. Police officers found at the scene a broken glass bottle of about 10cm wide and 15cm tall, with batteries, and electric circuits in it," he said.
"Part of the toilet was damaged, but the bomb was not very powerful."
No one had been arrested, as of Monday morning.
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