Thailand - Twenty killed in Erawan Shrine bombing, Bangkok, 17 Aug 2015

zwiebel

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A blast, that may have been from a bomb or explosion from inside a taxi, has caused devastation in central Bangkok, Thailand. The explosion happened near the Erawan shrine at the Ratchaprasong junction.

The death toll so far is five, with 20 injured but reports at the scene suggest this total is likely to rise.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33963280

Richard Barrow (@RichardBarrow) tweeted at 2:35pm - 17 Aug 15:

7:35pm - RT @thaicam: Damage inside Erawan Shrine from explosion pic.twitter.com/6L5g6Bz6cs #Bangkok #Thailand (https://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/633255793685499904?s=17)
 

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This Khaosod News reporter has got hold of cctv at the moment of the blast. That doesn't look like a simple vehicle fire, in my unexpert opinion.

joe black (@joe_black317) tweeted at 2:46pm - 17 Aug 15:

วงจรปิดเผยนาทีระเบิดตรงศาลพระพรหม pic.twitter.com/fDvy7hWouW (https://twitter.com/joe_black317/status/633258478740488193?s=17)
 

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Death toll 12 now. It was a tourist area and most victims are said to be Asian (Indian? Chinese?) tourists. However Thailand is very popular with Australian and British tourists too, so there is a possibility some of those citizens are also among the dead or wounded.

A improvised explosive device fastened to a utility pole in front of the Erawan shrine at the Ratchaprasong intersection detonated at 6.55pm with a motorbike bomb in the intersection shortly after..

Hospitals are appealing for blood donations.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/sec...s-bomb-blast-rocks-bangkok-tourist-attraction
 
The death toll has jumped. I just heard an Australian woman interviewed on BBC Radio, who was near the scene. She described absolute carnage. A reporter described this area as absolutely central, very busy and the attack taking place during the rush hour, so it could only have been carried out with the aim of inflicting the highest number of casualties possible.

Still no word on who might be responsible.

Richard Barrow (@RichardBarrow) tweeted - 17 Aug 15:

11.35pm Official announcement that there are now 18 dead & 117 injured in bomb explosion in #Bangkok -RT @kat_TRnews: pic.twitter.com/Pcq2TrI32S (https://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/633316679183765504?s=17)
 
here are other recent bombings of Hindu temples:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world...indu-temple-in-pakistan/article1-1319540.aspx

Two vehicles were destroyed in the blast, which ripped through in a densely populated area with a few Hindu temples, the Express Tribune newspaper reported on its website. TV news channels reported the blast occurred near a Hindu temple.

The target of the blast could not immediately be ascertained. No group claimed responsibility for the explosion.

http://www.thedailystar.net/hindu-temple-attacked-in-gazipur-13218

Unidentified miscreants vandalised idols in a Hindu temple in Bathania Chala under Kaliakoir upazila of the district on Tuesday night.
Dilip Kumar, a member of Sarbojanin Temple Committee, said miscreants desecrated all the idols in the temple, including the Durga, Laxmi, Saraswati, Kartik, Ganesh and Asur.
All the damaged idols were dumped in a field near the temple. The ****s also left notes threatening the Hindus to stop worshipping idols or face bomb attacks.
 
There is a suspect now; a man seen on surveillance carrying a backpack in the area of the blast at the shrine and then, shortly after, seen without it. He arrived by tuk tuk and left by motorcycle taxi.

There has been a bit of a kerfuffle and mix-up over this, I think. Thailand's military prime minister, Prayath Chan Ochra, has accused western media of misquoting him because he mentioned a Facebook page of a pro-democracy campaigner 'somewhere in the north east'. Media thought he was naming that person as a suspect, but he says he wasn't. It could be very important to that person as someone was just jailed for 30 years in Thailand just for making a 'defamatory' Facebook post.

There doesn't seem to be any evidence the suspect seen in the video has any connection to the Facebooker, as far as I can make out.

China, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia citizens are known to have died in the blast now, with the nationalities of eight victims still unknown.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e0da...dd1/latest-death-toll-bangkok-blast-raised-20

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1439875753
 

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What are those things on the suspect's arms?

IDK, I have known people that apply tape or bandaids to areas of their hands to keep from getting raw spot from the task/job at hand. I wonder if his job (if he has one) would warrant wearing them. jmo idk
 
Sounds like a lone wolf? Then again a second blast? Minor and no injury. As i have stated Thailand is on our bucket list. We were going to go this year until our Son got engaged. Destination Wedding and Reception to follow here at home 2 weeks later. We planned for next year. Now I am not sure???? Never been afraid but given these lone wolves they scare me more than anything. Oh well there is time to let this marinate. So very sorry to hear of the terror and loss of life in such a beautiful Country. Sad times we live in.
 
There is a suspect now; a man seen on surveillance carrying a backpack in the area of the blast at the shrine and then, shortly after, seen without it. He arrived by tuk tuk and left by motorcycle taxi.

There has been a bit of a kerfuffle and mix-up over this, I think. Thailand's military prime minister, Prayath Chan Ochra, has accused western media of misquoting him because he mentioned a Facebook page of a pro-democracy campaigner 'somewhere in the north east'. Media thought he was naming that person as a suspect, but he says he wasn't. It could be very important to that person as someone was just jailed for 30 years in Thailand just for making a 'defamatory' Facebook post.

There doesn't seem to be any evidence the suspect seen in the video has any connection to the Facebooker, as far as I can make out.

China, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia citizens are known to have died in the blast now, with the nationalities of eight victims still unknown.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e0da...dd1/latest-death-toll-bangkok-blast-raised-20

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1439875753

Maybe he burned himself while experimenting with bomb-making equipment? To me they look like ace bandage wraps. If they were a little closer to his elbows (or wrists) I would think bandages after a suicide attempt.
 
I was afraid there would be British or Australian visitors among the eight unidentified, and there is. 19-year-old British student Vivian Chan (Wing-Yan) was killed. She is a student at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and was continuing those studies in Hong Kong. She was visiting the shrine.

Poor young woman.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...national-killed-in-bangkok-bomb-10460719.html
 

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