Two Hong Kong secondary school students have committed suicide within a period of ten hours.
A 16-year-old secondary schoolboy living in Chi Fu Fa Yuen in Pok Fu Lam on Hong Kong Island was found hung at home on Thursday night, Apple Daily reported.
At around 7pm, when the boy’s father returned home, he found his son had hung himself with a leather belt. The father immediately freed his son and called the police, but the boy was later pronounced dead at Queen Mary Hospital.
Police did not find a suicide note at the scene, but it is understood that the victim was under pressure from his studies.
At 5am on Friday, a 16-year-old boy fell from Wah Ping House of Long Ping Estate in Yuen Long, the New Territories and was found lying in the street.
Paramedics were called and the boy, who was a form five student in a local secondary school, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers found his mobile phone and wallet in a staircase of Wah Ping House. They later found a suicide note in his home revealing that he was unhappy due to pressure at school.
A social worker said that some students are not aware that they are under pressure. Parents and adults are advised to pay careful attention to children whose habits change; warning signs to look out for are sleeping longer, having a low appetite and being short of motivation, Ming Pao Daily reported. Students are also encouraged to seek help from their parents, teachers and school social workers.
The Samaritans run a 24-hour multilingual suicide prevention hotline +852 2896 0000 or emails can be sent to jo@samaritans.org.hk.