PolyU to be returned in safe state

November 28, 2019

Police are confident the safety team formed to clear dangerous items, record damage and gather evidence at Polytechnic University (PolyU) can finish its task tomorrow and return the campus in a safe state to the university management.

 

Police Assistant Commissioner (Operations) Chow Yat-ming made the remarks tonight when updating the media on the safety team’s work that began this morning, noting that the university suffered extensive damage and petrol bombs were found in various places that posed a hazard on campus.

 

“Almost each floor of every building in the complex had suffered from a different extent of damage.

 

“You can see petrol bombs all over the corners and worse still, there were some petrol bombs, gas cylinders and corrosives exposed under the sunlight for a long time, which posed a serious threat to all personnel at the scene.”

 

Mr Chow added that the safety team has done a thorough job in removing the dangerous items to eliminate any potential danger from the campus.

 

“We split up into different teams and systematically entered different buildings inside the campus to remove and handle all the dangerous items and offensive weapons as well as to gather evidence at the scene.

 

“In parallel, the officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau also conducted a thorough search of the campus to ensure no immediate danger at the scene.”

 

Rounding up the dangerous substances and weapons seized at PolyU, Police Organized Crime & Triad Bureau Senior Superintendent Li Kwai-wah said 558 bottles of chemicals that can be used to make explosives were found.

 

Also seized were 3,801 petrol bombs, including 100 tied to cassette gas canisters which were used to cause extensive damage, he added.

 

“Apart from this, we also seized about 921 cassette gas (canisters).”

 

On the offensive weapons front, Mr Li said 27 bows and 200 arrows, one air rifle and four boxes of nails which were extensively used in earlier events near the university were seized.

 

“We have found 44 vehicles inside the carpark of Polytechnic University damaged. Most of them were (damaged) for the gasoline.”

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