Ticket sales for the concert of a Hong Kong superstar have been suspended following the knife attack of a man at the counter queue. This incident prompted fans to buy tickets via phone or online.
On Tuesday, police arrested four suspected triad members after attacking a mainland Chinese man, who had been on the line for more than a week just to buy concert tickets of Andy Lau.
This is the second knife attack in the city in three weeks, which prompted to cancel the counter booking for the concert. A source from the government said this is the first time in a decade having no counter booking at Urbtix outlets for a concert held at Hong Kong Coliseum.
The incident happened on Sunday soon after 4 am. Investigations revealed two men, assumed to be their 20s and 30s, arrived in a taxi.
"One of them punched the victim and the other attacked him with a knife," the source said. The two jumped back into the taxi before police arrived.
According to the South China Morning Post, one out of the four men is being suspected as a member of the Sun Yee On triad. The man, aged 26, was picked up on Tuesday at a flat in Shau Kei Wan at about 1 am. Initial investigation revealed the man was the mastermind, and that the attack has been carried out as part of his ticket scalping plan. The three other men were his associates, as per the source.
On Tuesday, Urbtix released a statement citing, "the recent injury cases outside Urbtix outlets [when] queuing for concert tickets," it said event presenter Focus Entertainment consulted the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and police in deciding against arranging a counter booking for My Love Andy Lau World Tour - Hong Kong. The main reason was to protect public safety and maintain public order "in the absence of any other better alternatives."
The statement further added that credit card telephone, internet, and mobile app bookings are available.
The victim, surnamed Zheng, arrived on August 18 in Hong Kong from China with a visitor's permit for sightseeing. Ever since he arrived, the 58-year-old man has been in the queue outside the ticket office at Youth Square, Chai Wan.
After the attack, Zheng was taken to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan to treat his injury on the right arm.
Lau posted a Facebook video after the attack. He calls the police to step up patrols and asks his fans to stay safe. His concerts will run from December 15 until January 3 at the Hong Kong Coliseum. There are about t 60,000 tickets to be available for public sale through Urbtix from Tuesday next week at 10 am.
