A fire broke out on Hong Kong's subway Monday morning, injuring 14 people, according to local TV reports.

The accident, which happened at Admiralty Station on the Hong Kong island around 9:14 a.m., made the subway service stop for half an hour.

The injured passengers were rushed to a nearby hospital and the fire was wiped out in less than 10 minutes. The subway service resumed at 9:42 a.m.

Witnesses said a man ignited some liquor at the first compartment of the train and caused the fire. The man ran away amid chaos.

The case was under investigation by the Hong Kong Police.

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2004)