Bangkok rocked by bomb at religious shrine
Source: The Guardian
A bomb has exploded outside a religious shrine in central Bangkok, killing at least 12 people and wounding many more.
Body parts were scattered across the street after the explosion outside the Erawan Shrine in the central Chidlom district of the Thai capital.
I can confirm it was a bomb, we cant tell which kind yet, we are checking, national police spokesman Lietenant General Prawut Thavornsiri told AFP.
The Erawan is an enormously popular shrine to the Hindu god Brahma but is visited by thousands of Buddhist devotees every day.
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/17/bangkok-rocked-by-explosion-at-busy-road-junction
The attack took place close to the Erawan Shrine in the capital's central Chidlom district.
Our correspondent says this a very well known shrine in the centre of Bangkok, next to a five-star hotel.
He says people around the shrine were hit by the full force of the blast.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-33963280
joshcryer
(62,276 posts)muriel_volestrangler
(101,322 posts)Friends in #Bangkok say mandarin translators needed as most injured Chinese and Taiwanese tourist families
Juliana Liu劉林
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-asia-33963871
More live updates at that link.
Silver Gaia
(4,544 posts)The bomb wasn't near where she lives, but was too close for comfort to where she works. She said she frequents that area, and takes the Skytrain, which was also targeted. According to the Bangkok Post, the police deactivated a bomb taped to a support post for the Skytrain. She is a bit freaked out about that, because she has to take the Skytrain to get home from work. Needless to say, her Mom is a bit shaken up, too. But thank goodness she's OK. I have never been so happy to see a little green dot next to her name on Facebook as I was this morning!
mmonk
(52,589 posts)A good friend of mine is currently living in Bangkok.
Silver Gaia
(4,544 posts)I've been making her post to me, just an "I'm home!" is enough, when she gets home every night so I can be at peace with it and relax. Argh
muriel_volestrangler
(101,322 posts)It is much clearer who the bombers are, but I cant reveal right now, Prawit Wongsuwan said on Tuesday. We have suspects. There are not many people.
Thai authorities said they were hunting a suspect who had been caught on security cameras near the scene of the blast. However, Thailands ministry of foreign affairs said: For the time being, it is too early to determine the possible motives or who the perpetrators may be.
Prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was quoted by news agencies as saying the suspect was believed to be from an anti-government group based in Thailands northeast. The area is a stronghold of support for the so-called redshirt movement, which backs former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by the military in 2006. But Thai media later said the quote was not referring to the suspect.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/18/bangkok-bomb-not-in-keeping-with-insurgent-attacks-says-army-chief