In this file photo dated June 10, 2019, police patrol along barricades set up outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong. (PHOTO / AFP)

A 29-year-old man was arrested on Sunday after he allegedly stabbed his manager in a fast-food restaurant in Western, Hong Kong Island, fracturing the victim’s skull.

The incident was the latest in a series of brutal knife attacks in public places in Hong Kong recently, sparking concern among residents about their safety.

According to the police, the alleged assailant was a subordinate of the 39-year-old victim, and they had argued over the former’s work performance

Sunday’s assault occurred at a McDonald’s outlet on Hill Road. The suspect fled the scene after the attack but was arrested shortly and is being held for further investigation. Police said there’s no evidence that the alleged assailant is mentally ill.

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The 38-year-old victim underwent surgery in hospital and is in intensive care after suffering a fractured skull, with a 10-centimeter-deep wound in the back of the head, and another eight-centimeter-deep gash in his neck.

According to the police, the alleged assailant was a subordinate of the 39-year-old victim, and they had argued over the former’s work performance. The suspect had gone to a nearby shop on Sunday and returned with two choppers  to carry out the attack. He fled but was arrested about 10 minutes later.

There have been a series of knife attacks on citizens in the special administrative region in recent weeks.

On June 8, a worker at a vegetable stall slashed his manager in a subway at the MTR’s Choi Hung Station, Kowloon. Police said the suspect was charged with intentional injury, but has no record of mental illness.

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About a week earlier, two women were stabbed to death at Plaza Hollywood shopping mall in Diamond Hill. A 39-year-old man was subdued and arrested at the scene and is also said to be not mentally unbalanced.

The alleged attacker was charged with murder, and the case has been heard at Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts. The defendant did not enter a plea and the case has been adjourned to Oct 9.

The prosecution said the psychiatric reports in both the Choi Hung and Diamond Hill attacks showed that the suspects are fit to stand trial.

Contact the writer at mikegu@chinadailyhk.com