Footage of the moment the blast hit shows a large explosion at the Erawan Shrine, a sight popular with tourists, followed by terrified pedestrians racing for their lives. A Thai government spokesman confirmed that foreigners were among those injured in the blast.
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A powerful bomb exploded around 7 pm local time outside Erawan Shrine in the downtown Chidlom district of Bangkok, police said.
When Bangkok wakes up, a Thai woman hopes she can find the facts about her shattered capital city from her Hamilton home. A third, placed opposite the shrine, was diffused.
CNN reported that the blast occurred near the Erawan Shrine, a major tourist attraction in an area studded by hotels and shopping centers.
No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, the worst violence in the capital since weeks of clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces in 2010 resulted in more than 90 deaths.
“All I can say now is there has been an explosion in central Bangkok involving a motorcycle bomb“, deputy national police chief Aek Angsananond told Reuters.
It sits between a five-star hotel and a popular shopping centre on the Ratchaprasong intersection, which has been the centre of political demonstrations in recent years. Local reports suggest at least 19 people have died and at least 120 more have been injured.
Marko Cunningham, a volunteer for the Bangkok Free Ambulance, was one of the first people to arrive at the scene following the deadly blast that ripped through worshippers and tourists at a Hindu shrine on Monday, injuring more than 120 others.
An improvised explosive device fastened to a utility pole was detonated probably by remote outside the temple dedicated to Lord Brahma, crowded with people after the workday.
Defense Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said the attack aimed to disrupt the economy and tourism by causing a high number of fatalities, due to the bomb’s strategic position.
Thai authorities are fighting an ongoing Muslim insurgency in the south of the country.
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The country has also been riven for a decade by intense and sometimes violent rivalry between political factions in Bangkok and elsewhere.
