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muriel_volestrangler

(101,322 posts) Mon Aug 17, 2015, 09:02 AM Aug 2015

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 can’t 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 BBC's Jonathan Head, who is at the scene, says there is a huge amount of chaos, with body parts scattered everywhere.

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

7 replies

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Highlight:

Bangkok rocked by bomb at religious shrine (Original Post) muriel_volestrangler Aug 2015 OP

RIP joshcryer Aug 2015 #1

Many injured are Chinese and Taiwanese tourists muriel_volestrangler Aug 2015 #2

My daughter lives in Bangkok. She's OK, but pretty shaken up. Silver Gaia Aug 2015 #3

I am glad she is OK. mmonk Aug 2015 #5

Thanks. It is hard to be so far away from loved ones when there is such danger. Silver Gaia Aug 2015 #7

Bangkok bomb: Thailand says identity of shrine attackers 'much clearer' muriel_volestrangler Aug 2015 #4

Horrible. RIP. LeftishBrit Aug 2015 #6

joshcryer

(62,276 posts)

1. RIP

Reply to muriel_volestrangler (Original post)

Mon Aug 17, 2015, 09:15 AM

Aug 2015

muriel_volestrangler

(101,322 posts)

2. Many injured are Chinese and Taiwanese tourists

Reply to muriel_volestrangler (Original post)

Mon Aug 17, 2015, 10:40 AM

Aug 2015

The BBC's Hong Kong correspondent tweets:

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

Silver Gaia

(4,544 posts)

3. My daughter lives in Bangkok. She's OK, but pretty shaken up.

Reply to muriel_volestrangler (Original post)

Mon Aug 17, 2015, 11:25 AM

Aug 2015

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)

5. I am glad she is OK.

Reply to Silver Gaia (Reply #3)

Tue Aug 18, 2015, 08:01 AM

Aug 2015

A good friend of mine is currently living in Bangkok.

Silver Gaia

(4,544 posts)

7. Thanks. It is hard to be so far away from loved ones when there is such danger.

Reply to mmonk (Reply #5)

Thu Aug 20, 2015, 05:30 AM

Aug 2015

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)

4. Bangkok bomb: Thailand says identity of shrine attackers 'much clearer'

Reply to muriel_volestrangler (Original post)

Tue Aug 18, 2015, 05:05 AM

Aug 2015

Thailand is close to determining who detonated a bomb at a popular shrine in Bangkok that killed 22 people and injured 123, the country’s defence minister has said, as police reported a second, much smaller, explosion in the Thai capital on Tuesday.

“It is much clearer who the bombers are, but I can’t 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, Thailand’s 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 Thailand’s 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

LeftishBrit

(41,208 posts)

6. Horrible. RIP.

Reply to muriel_volestrangler (Original post)

Tue Aug 18, 2015, 10:14 AM

Aug 2015

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