Hong Kong protests: Man set on fire in Ma On Shan as violence escalates

A man has been set on fire following an apparent dispute over national identity in Hong Kong on Monday, Associated Press reported. The incident reportedly happened in Ma On Shan. The fire was quickly extinguished but the man was left with burns on his skin. The extremely graphic video has gone viral on social media.

The Chinese-ruled territory spiraled into rare working-hours violence after Hong Kong police shot and wounded one protester who, hospital officials said, was in critical condition.

Police fired tear gas in the Central business district where some protesters, crouching behind umbrellas, blocked streets as office workers on their lunch break crowded the pavements and hurled anti-government abuse.

Some passersby took cover inside the Landmark shopping mall, one of the oldest and most expensive in Central, as volley after volley of tear gas rained down. Protests have happened almost daily in Hong Kong, sometimes with little or no notice, disrupting business and piling pressure on the government. But it was rare for tear gas to be fired during working hours in Central, lined with bank headquarters and top-brand shops at the foot of Victoria Peak.