Light show at the Victoria Bay in Hong Kong. Photo: Xinhua 

 The scheduled fireworks show for the National Day at Victoria Harbour will be canceled, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government announced Wednesday. 

Given the current situation and considering public safety, the scheduled fireworks show on October 1 will be called off, the government said. 

Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao reported on September 12 that the cancellation was related to the recent protest, and the local government was concerned that the show would attract a crowd gathering and may lead to conflict, citing insiders. 

It is the third time a fireworks show for the National Day has been cancelled since 1997, when Hong Kong returned to China. 

In 2013, a fireworks show was cancelled to mourn the dead in an accident on October 1, 2012, which killed 39 people when a passenger ferry collided with a Hong Kong Electric Company-owned vessel off Yung Shue Wan, media reported.  

The 2014 show was also cancelled because of the illegal "Occupy Central" movement in 2014, local media said.