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Thailand hunts shrine attack suspect as device 'thrown from Bangkok bridge' Thailand hunts shrine attack suspect as device 'thrown from Bangkok bridge'
(35 minutes later)
A small explosive device has been thrown from a bridge in Bangkok, a day after a bomb at a popular shrine in the Thai capital killed 22 people and injured 123. A small explosive device has been thrown from a bridge in Bangkok the day after a bomb blast at a popular shrine in the Thai capital killed 22 people and injured 123.
Police said a device appears to have been thrown towards a pier from the Taksin bridge. Security camera footage shows people on a walkway at the Sathorn pier being doused with water after the object fell into the Chao Phraya river. No link has been made to Monday’s attack and no one was hurt. Police said a device appeared to have been thrown towards a pier from the Taksin bridge. Security camera footage showed people on a walkway at the Sathorn pier being showered with water after the object fell into the Chao Phraya river. No link has been made to Monday’s attack and no one was hurt.
“If it did not fall in the water then it certainly would have caused injuries,” a deputy police chief told Reuters.“If it did not fall in the water then it certainly would have caused injuries,” a deputy police chief told Reuters.
Thailand’s defence minister has said authorities are close to determining who detonated Monday’s bomb.Thailand’s defence minister has said authorities are close to determining who detonated Monday’s bomb.
Related: China fears its tourists were target for Bangkok bombersRelated: China fears its tourists were target for Bangkok bombers
“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.”“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. Footage broadcast on Thai media of the man, in a yellow t-shirt, shows him sitting down on a bench and taking off a large, black backpack. He then stands up and walks away before checking his phone. Thai authorities said they were hunting a suspect who had been seen on footage from security cameras near the scene of the blast. Broadcast on Thai media, the footage shows a man in a yellow T-shirt sitting on a bench and taking off a large, black backpack. He then stands up and walks away before checking his phone.
National police chief Somyot Pumpanmuang said the suspect could be Thai or a foreigner. “We need to look at the before and after CCTV footage to see if there is a link,” Somyot told reporters. The national police chief, Somyot Poompanmoung, said the suspect could be Thai or a foreigner. “We need to look at the before and after CCTV footage to see if there is a link,” Somyot told reporters.
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.” 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. The 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 north-east”. The area is a stronghold of support for the redshirt movement which backs the 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.
No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing of the Hindu Erawan shrine, a major attraction for visitors from Asia and for Thai people. Dedicated to the Hindu god Brahma, it is also popular among Thailand’s Buddhist and Chinese tourists. No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing of the Erawan shrine, a major attraction for visitors from Asia and for Thai people. Dedicated to the Hindu god Brahma, it is also popular among Thailand’s Buddhist and Chinese tourists.
Forensic police teams in white gloves spent Tuesday morning combing the intersection where the bomb detonated. Glass and and debris were collected while the army looked on. Forensic police teams in white gloves spent Tuesday morning combing through glass and debris at the intersection where the bomb exploded, while the army stood guard.
The four major roads leading to the bomb site, normally packed with traffic, were empty, blocked off by the police. At midday, street cleaners entered the site and started to hose down the area, suggesting the scene investigation had finished. The four major roads leading to the site, normally packed with traffic, had been blocked off by police. At midday, street cleaners entered the site and started to hose down the area, suggesting the scene investigation had finished.
Thai police have finished gathering evidence at Bangkok blast scene. Cleaners move into shrine. pic.twitter.com/uJ4rBtLli7Thai police have finished gathering evidence at Bangkok blast scene. Cleaners move into shrine. pic.twitter.com/uJ4rBtLli7
Prayuth told media the attack “is the worst incident that has ever happened in Thailand”.Prayuth told media the attack “is the worst incident that has ever happened in Thailand”.
He added: “There have been minor bombs or just noise, but this time they aimed for innocent lives. They want to destroy our economy, our tourism.” “There have been minor bombs or just noise, but this time they aimed for innocent lives,” he said. “They want to destroy our economy, our tourism.”
Much of the violence in the south-east Asian nation stems from a low-level insurgency waged by Muslim separatists in the south, but the country’s army chief said on Tuesday that the attack does not bear the hallmarks of the rebels. Much of the violence in the south-east Asian nation stems from a low-level insurgency waged by Muslim separatists in the south, but the country’s army chief said on Tuesday that the attack did not bear the hallmarks of the rebels.
“This does not match with incidents in southern Thailand. The type of bomb used is also not in keeping with the south,” Royal Thai Army chief and deputy defence minister General Udomdej Sitabutr said in a televised interview. “This does not match with incidents in southern Thailand. The type of bomb used is also not in keeping with the south,” the Royal Thai Army chief and deputy defence minister, General Udomdej Sitabutr, said in a televised interview.
Eight foreigners were killed in the explosion, including three Chinese, two Hong Kong residents, two people from Malaysia and one person from the Philippines. Scores of people were wounded, including many from China and Taiwan. Eight foreigners were killed in the explosion, including three from the Chinese mainland, two from Hong Kong, two from Malaysia and one from the Philippines.
More than 20 of the 123 injured people were Chinese, according to a statement posted on the website of China’s embassy in Bangkok. They sustained both “moderate and severe” injuries, Xinhua, China’s official news agency said. More than 20 of the 123 injured people were Chinese, according to a statement posted on the website of China’s embassy in Bangkok. They sustained both “moderate and severe” injuries, China’s official news agency, Xinhau, said.
“It is beyond the imagination of Chinese people that a blast could happen at the famous Erawan shrine,” the Global Times, a Communist party-controlled tabloid, said in an editorial. “It has almost the same impact on Chinese tourists as if it happened in China.”“It is beyond the imagination of Chinese people that a blast could happen at the famous Erawan shrine,” the Global Times, a Communist party-controlled tabloid, said in an editorial. “It has almost the same impact on Chinese tourists as if it happened in China.”
Beijing said it had “demanded” embassy officials in Bangkok find out what had happened and to “go all-out to help treat the injured people”. Beijing said it had demanded that embassy officials in Bangkok find out what had happened and to “go all-out to help treat the injured people”.
At the nearby police hospital, Chinese volunteer translators waited in the lobby for the families and friends of several Chinese tourists who has been killed and wounded in the blast, which ripped through the area at 7pm on Monday.At the nearby police hospital, Chinese volunteer translators waited in the lobby for the families and friends of several Chinese tourists who has been killed and wounded in the blast, which ripped through the area at 7pm on Monday.
Names of wounded on the wall outside hospital at Bangkok bomb site pic.twitter.com/DwQH5YHhuZNames of wounded on the wall outside hospital at Bangkok bomb site pic.twitter.com/DwQH5YHhuZ
More than 6,500 people have been killed in the long-running insurgency in the south of the country since 2004, but militants have not launched an attack of this scale on the capital.More than 6,500 people have been killed in the long-running insurgency in the south of the country since 2004, but militants have not launched an attack of this scale on the capital.
Bangkok has witnessed violent protests from opposing political groups since 2006 but foreigners are rarely caught in the bloodshed. An indiscriminate bomb attack killing large numbers of people is unheard of in recent memory.Bangkok has witnessed violent protests from opposing political groups since 2006 but foreigners are rarely caught in the bloodshed. An indiscriminate bomb attack killing large numbers of people is unheard of in recent memory.
Thai national police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said the death toll stood at 22 from the bombing, with 123 people wounded. Poompanmoung told reporters the blast was caused by a pipe bomb.
Police chief Poompanmuang told reporters the attack was unprecedented in Thailand. He said the blast was caused by a pipe bomb.
“The perpetrators intended to destroy the economy and tourism, because the incident occurred in the heart of the tourism district,” defence minister Prawit told Reuters late on Monday.
Tourism is one of the few bright spots in an economy that continues to underperform more than a year after the military seized power in May 2014.Tourism is one of the few bright spots in an economy that continues to underperform more than a year after the military seized power in May 2014.
It accounts for about 10% of the economy, and the government had expected a record number of visitors this year following a sharp fall in 2014 during months of street protests and the coup. It accounts for about 10% of the economy, and the government had expected a record number of visitors this year after a sharp fall in 2014 during months of street protests and the coup.
Related: Bangkok explosion: witness reportsRelated: Bangkok explosion: witness reports
At the scene on Monday evening lay burnt out motorcycles, with rubble from the shrine’s wall and pools of blood on the street. “There were bodies everywhere,” said Marko Cunningham, a New Zealand paramedic working with a Bangkok ambulance service, who said the blast had left a two-metre-wide crater. The scene on Monday evening included burnt-out motorcycles, rubble from the shrine’s wall and pools of blood on the street.
“Some were shredded. There were legs where heads were supposed to be. It was horrific,” Cunningham told Reuters, adding that people several hundred metres away had been wounded. “There were bodies everywhere,” Marko Cunningham, a New Zealand paramedic working with a Bangkok ambulance service, told Reuters. “Some were shredded. There were legs where heads were supposed to be. It was horrific,” he told Reuters.
He said the blast had left a 2-metre-wide crater and wounded people several hundred metres away.
The Nation television channel reported that the government would set up a “war room” to coordinate a response. Two pipe bombs exploded in the same district in February but did not cause significant damage.The Nation television channel reported that the government would set up a “war room” to coordinate a response. Two pipe bombs exploded in the same district in February but did not cause significant damage.