Police retrieve a five-inch-long knife at the scene and the suspect, 42, is taken to hospital with minor wounds

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A South Korean man has been arrested for the suspected murder of his wife and young son at the luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel on Hong Kong’s harbour front.

Police rushed to the hotel after receiving a report on Sunday morning that a man and a woman, both aged 42, were fighting.

The woman and a boy aged six were found dead at the scene while the man was arrested on suspicion of murder and taken to hospital, police said.

The suspect was believed to have consumed alcohol and appeared unconscious in the hotel suite with minor wounds to his hand and face, police assistant district commander Chan Tsz-Leung said.

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The woman suffered multiple cuts and wounds to her neck and a wound was also found on the throat of the boy.

Police retrieved a five-inch-long knife at the scene, Chan said. The motive for the killings remained unclear, with the suspect still in hospital and unfit to talk to police.

Local news site Apple Daily said the couple and their son had checked into the five-star hotel a few days before.

A source with knowledge of the investigation told AFP that a friend of the suspect had warned authorities in South Korea he was potentially suicidal shortly before the incident.

The Ritz-Carlton is located on the top floors of Hong Kong’s tallest skyscraper – the International Commerce Centre – and is famous for panoramic views of the city and its Victoria harbour.

“Our thoughts are with the family of the guests involved at this very difficult time,” a hotel spokesperson in Hong Kong told AFP.

In a separate incident, Hong Kong police are investigating the murder-suicide of a couple found dead at a public housing estate near the border with mainland China, local media reported.