Violence will only escalate 'tragedies', says Carrie Lam

Calling the incident of setting a man on fire as an "inhumane act", Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Monday said that violence will not solve problems but will lead to more "tragedies".

Monday is deemed as one of the worst days of the anti-government protests that have grappled the semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong since June. At least 60 injuries were reported today including two gruesome incidents -- a student was shot with a live round and a man was set on fire. Lam condemned the widespread violence and termed the two incidents "very worrying", reported South China Morning Post.

The protests in the city escalated over the death of Chow Tsz-lok, a computer sciences student at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Chow had suffered a severe head injury in a parking garage close to the scene of protests.

"Citizens are very worried about whether they can live in the city safely. The widespread violence must be strongly condemned by the whole of society. Everyone is frightened. I received several messages from friends and elderly parents," Lam told in a live press conference. "They ask, can they go out on the streets again, pick up their phones and say certain things?"

She also warned protesters that violence against innocent people won't help in achieving political demands. "Violence will not solve problems and will only lead to more violence. Escalated violence will only lead to more tragedies in society. I believe no one in Hong Kong wants to see these tragedies happen."

The leader also urged everyone to stop their violent acts. Citing the chaos and violence, around 25 railway stations were closed down in Hong Kong.

Graphic video of the incident posted on social media shows that the unarmed man wearing a green t-shirt shouting expletives at protesters before saying "you're all not Chinese". He is then doused with a flammable liquid and set alight by a person present on the spot.

A Hong Kong police source told CNN they are investigating the incident which took place at the Ma On Shan subway station in the New Territories. The man is in hospital in a critical condition, Hong Kong's Hospital Authority said.

Footage of another incident shows a traffic police officer firing a live round into the abdomen of another protester who was approaching him. Two more rounds were subsequently fired at another protester.

Washington Post quoted a police spokesperson as confirming that live rounds were fired and that two protesters were injured outside the Sai Wan Ho MTR station and taken to Eastern Hospital for treatment.