Tourists among 18 killed in
apparent attack on Bangkok shrine
Bangkok, Thailand
-
A bomb explosion that appeared
to target a popular Hindu shrine in central Bangkok killed at least 18 people on
Monday and injured 117 more, according to the Erawan Medical Emergency Center.
Twelve victims died at the
scene, and six others died later in the hospital, officials said.
The hospital's death toll
conflicted with that of several media outlets, including The Nation television
and Channel 7, both of which reported 27 deaths.
Somyot said later, though, that the suspicious items were not
bombs.
"They are just garbage bags," he
said. "Our (explosives) team is still working at the site, and we will close
down the traffic around the area until noon tomorrow."
The first bomb -- a 3-kilogram
"improvised device" -- was the only one, police said.
Steve Herman, a correspondent and
bureau chief for Voice of America, said he thought it was thunder when the
explosion first ripped through central Bangkok.
He saw six bodies under sheets
inside the shrine and one outside of it, he told.
Another reporter, The New York
Times' Thomas Fuller, said body parts were scattered around the area. He
estimated that several hundred military and police officials, some of them using
dogs, were scouring the scene for more bombs.
Maj. Gen. Sriwara Ransibrahmanakul
told that security was being tightened throughout the city. Asked how many
security forces had been deployed, he replied, "As much as we have."
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