Hong Kong police have arrested two women, identified as nationals of India and Sri Lanka, following a perilous incident during Typhoon Ragasa in which a young child was endangered.
The arrests come amid public fury over reckless behaviour during the storm, which had already left a mother and child fighting for their lives in a separate tragedy.
The latest incident unfolded on Tuesday afternoon at the waterfront near the South Horizons estate in Ap Lei Chau. While the city was under the No. 10 Hurricane Signal, the two women, accompanied by a young boy, ventured onto the exposed shoreline.
Shock footage, which subsequently spread across social media, shows one woman holding the child while the other appears to be recording a video on her mobile phone.
The situation turned critical in an instant when a monstrous wave, several metres high, breached the sea wall. The powerful surge completely engulfed the trio, washing them off their feet and onto the pavement behind a barrier.
Audible screams can be heard on the video as the water crashes over them. Miraculously, all three were able to scramble to their feet afterwards, appearing drenched and shaken but escaping serious physical injury.
In response to the Ap Lei Chau episode, police confirmed they had taken two individuals into custody. Sources indicate the arrested parties are the child’s Indian-born mother and her friend, a Sri Lankan national. They are being investigated for their role in an act that placed the child in clear and imminent danger.
This reckless act occurred against a backdrop of heightened alarm, merely a day after a separate wave-watching incident in Chai Wan ended in near-disaster. At the Chai Wan Breakwater, a 38-year-old woman and her five-year-old son were swept into the sea by a large wave. Their 40-year-old husband and father leapt into the water in a desperate rescue attempt. All three were recovered by emergency services and transported to Eastern District Hospital, where the mother and son were initially listed in a critical condition.
The video sparked immediate and intense criticism online, with members of the public expressing anger and disbelief. Many commentators condemned the actions as “utterly irresponsible” and “a blatant disregard for official safety warnings.” A prevalent sentiment centred on the unnecessary risk posed to emergency service personnel, who would have been forced to undertake a perilous rescue mission had the situation deteriorated. “The lives of rescue personnel are precious too,” one online post stated, echoing a common view that those who ignore severe weather alerts “do not deserve sympathy” if tragedy strikes.
The Hong Kong Observatory and the Hong Kong police force had issued repeated, stern warnings throughout the typhoon, urging the public to stay indoors and away from coastal areas. Officials emphasised the extreme dangers posed by storm surges and “killer waves,” which can occur with little to no warning.
Source: Dimsum Daily
–Agencies
