Regional News
Deadly Bomb Explosion in Central Bangkok, 12 Dead, over 30 Wounded
According to officials the bomb went off outside the Erawan Shrine in the downtown Chidlom district of the Thai capital.
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BANGKOK – A large explosion rocked the commercial hub of Bangkok, Thailand, during the evening rush hour on Monday, according to media reports.
Authorities reported that at least 12 people were dead, according to police and a rescue worker. Local TV quoted police as saying the blast was caused by a bomb.
The explosion appears to have gone off in front of the Erawan Shrine, a Hindu shrine that is popular with tourists and locals.
The Bangkok Post quotes police as saying at least one more bomb has been made safe by officers in the Ratchaprasong area.
The BBC’s Jonathan Head, who is at the scene, says there is a huge amount of chaos, with body parts scattered everywhere.
Jonathan Head says this a very well known shrine in the center of Bangkok and people around the shrine were hit by the full force of the blast.
There are burnt motorbikes on the main road, with paramedics and police trying to take the injured away, he said.
One of those injured is believed to be a foreign national, according to Thai Rath TV.
Photos from the scene appear to show an injured Caucasian woman being taken away on a stretcher.
There is no indication yet of what caused the explosion during rush hour. Roads around Rajaprasong Intersection have been closed.
PHOTO’S OF BLAST AREA
