Hong Kong Subway Snake Sighting... Commuters Startled on Their Way to Work

40cm Snake Found in Ireland Line Train Carriage
Experts Capture Snake After Passengers Disembark

A 40cm-long snake appeared in a subway car during rush hour in Hong Kong, causing all passengers to evacuate in a commotion.

On the 17th, local media Sing Tao Daily reported that at around 7:37 a.m. (local time), a 40cm-long snake was crawling inside a subway car on the Hong Kong MTR Island Line, prompting all passengers to disembark. Upon the snake's appearance, the subway authorities evacuated all passengers from the train at Admiralty Station, the largest transfer station, and instructed them to use the next train. Afterwards, the subway authorities called in snake capture experts who caught the snake, and train service resumed normally.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Scene of Admiralty Station in Hong Kong during rush hour Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, on the 13th, a snake incident also occurred at a theater in Hong Kong. At the MCL Cinema located in Sha Tin New Town Plaza, a 30cm-long bamboo snake went missing from the 4D screening room, causing the theater to close. A 16-year-old boy who visited the theater had brought the snake but lost it, resulting in the theater being closed for several hours and refunds being issued to the audience. Later, the boy who lost the snake, along with the police and his mother, searched the site and retrieved the snake, ending the commotion.

A Snake Also Appears in an Apartment in Gimpo City, Captured by Fire Department

Meanwhile, on the 16th, a snake appeared in an apartment in Janggi-dong, Gimpo City, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, and was captured by the fire department. At around 6:55 p.m., the Gimpo Fire Department received a report that a snake was roaming in an apartment complex in Janggi-dong. The reporter was an apartment management office official. The fire department dispatched personnel to the scene but could not find the snake and withdrew. However, about two hours later, at 8:39 p.m., a similar report was received again, and the fire department returned to the location. About 30 minutes after dispatch, at around 9:18 p.m. the same day, the snake was found on the first floor of the apartment, and the fire department captured it.

The fire department believes the snake came down from a nearby mountain and is currently identifying the species of the captured snake. A fire department official urged, "If you see a snake, immediately leave the area and call 119." Capturing snakes yourself is illegal. Article 19, Paragraph 1 of the Wildlife Protection and Management Act prohibits capturing species designated by the Ministry of Environment, and most commonly seen snakes fall under protected species by the Ministry's decree. Generally, snakes captured by 119 personnel are released back into remote wilderness to return to nature.

If bitten by a snake, it is urgent to go to the emergency room immediately to receive antivenom treatment. If you cannot get to the emergency room right away, tie the bitten area to reduce blood flow and keep it below the heart level. However, tying too tightly to completely stop blood flow can cause necrosis at the wound site, so it is important to tie it with enough pressure to allow some blood circulation.