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| Erawan Shrine in 2012 (Image: Flickr User - Chris.E) |
By Prashanth Parameswaran
An explosion has killed at least 16 people.
A bomb planted inside one of Thailand’s most renowned shrines exploded Monday evening, killing at least 16 people and wounding more than 80 in what appears to be the worst in a series of explosions since the Thai military took power in a coup last May.
According to The Bangkok Post, the blast occurred at 6:55pm local time near the Erawan Shrine, an important tourist destination by the busy Ratchaprasong intersection in the center of Bangkok. The shrine is popular among both locals as well as foreign tourists, particularly ethnic Chinese from East Asian nations like Singapore and Taiwan.
Police have confirmed that at least 16 people have been killed, including one Filipino and Chinese national, though some sources have already reported the death toll to have risen. Local media sources have said that most of the wounded were from China and Taiwan.
According to Police Commissioner General Somyot Poompanmuang, the bomb was planted at the location by suspects who wanted to carry out an attack with mass casualties.
“Whoever planted this bomb is cruel and aimed to kill. Planting a bomb there means they want to see a lot of people dead,” he said.
Read the full story at The Diplomat