A protester who was shot with live ammunition in Sai Wan Ho yesterday morning will need more surgery, while a man who was doused with flammable liquid and set on fire during an argument with protesters remains in critical condition after suffering widespread second-degree burns.
According to RTHK, the gunshot victim, a 21-year-old surnamed Chow, will need to undergo another round of surgery today following an emergency operation on his liver and kidney after being rushed to Eastern Hospital yesterday following the shooting.
Though RTHK reported that Chow was still in critical condition, the SCMP cited an anonymous source as saying he had been taken off of sedatives and had his condition downgraded from critical to serious.
Hong Kong police have said they will investigate the incident, and insisted that the officer fired because he thought his gun was going to be snatched away. However, the force did not address why the officer had drawn his gun in the first place when arresting an unarmed protester.
Meanwhile, a 57-year-old man who was filmed arguing with protesters in Ma On Shan before being doused in flammable liquid and set alight was taken to Prince of Wales Hospital and is also in a critical condition. RTHK reports that he’s still recuperating at the hospital’s ICU.
Initial reports said the man suffered second-degree burns to around 30 percent of his body, but the SCMP reported today that the burns actually extended to more than 40 percent of his body. Police have since classified the attack as a case of attempted murder.
The Hospital Authority confirmed that the two men were among more than 120 people who were taken to hospital yesterday following clashes between police and protesters across the city. In addition to the two men in critical condition, four others were in serious condition, 63 were stable, and 58 have since been discharged.
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