A bomb on a motorcycle exploded on Monday, August 17, just outside a Hindu shrine in the centre of the Thai capital, killing at least 12 people, police and a rescue worker said.
The blast was near the Erawan shrine at a major Bangkok intersection, police said.
Here’s the CCTV footage of the blast
Source: YouTube
A policeman at the scene and a rescue worker said 12 people had been killed. Media put the number of the wounded at 20.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Thai forces are fighting a low-level Muslim insurgency in the predominantly Buddhist country’s south, although those rebels have rarely launched attacks outside their ethnic Malay heartland.
URGENT UPDATE: Bangkok bomb was on motorcycle – police http://t.co/q6zwrcAel6 pic.twitter.com/QFQIRph5z9
— RT (@RT_com) August 17, 2015
DETAILS: At least 12 dead, scores injured after blast rocks central Bangkok http://t.co/q6zwrcAel6 pic.twitter.com/34yktBsdLC
— RT (@RT_com) August 17, 2015
BREAKING: Bangkok blast death toll up to 15, 80 injured – Thai TV via police http://t.co/q6zwrcAel6 https://t.co/1Bp258E8kg (pic @BOICE_ELF )
— RT (@RT_com) August 17, 2015
The army has ruled Thailand since May 2014, when it ousted an elected government after months of, at times, violent anti-government protests.
The Erawan shrine, on a busy corner near top hotels, shopping centres and offices, is a major tourist attraction, especially for visitors from East Asia. Many ordinary Thais also worship there.
(Text from Reuters)