Asia-Pacific
Bomb blasts kill 5, wound 100 in Bangkok
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-04-22 23:49
 |
Large Medium Small |
BANGKOK - At least five people died and some 100 others were injured in a series of bomb blasts that hit Bangkok's main financial district of Silom on Thursday night, media sources said.
|
 Army soldiers and a man assist an injured woman to an ambulance after multiple explosions in Bangkok's Silom business district April 22, 2010. [Agencies]
|
Earlier, a woman died after she was rushed to the Chulalongkorn Hospital, TPBS TV said.
Among the targets of the series of blasts, the Headquarters of Bangkok Bank, Thailand's largest commercial bank, was hit by a bomb, leaving more than 20 injured, local media reported.
The blast occurred around 09:00 p.m., following three explosions that hit the third floor of Sala Daeng skytrain station, the sky walk and Dusit Thani hotel.
Sansern Kaewkamnerd, spokesman for the Center for the Resolutions of Emergency Situations or CRES confirmed that the explosions were caused by M-79 grenades.
Unidentified gunmen fired M-79 grenades from the Chulalongkorn Hospital's fifth floor, witness said.
The blasts occurred just minutes after 08:00 p.m., 500 meters from where the multicolored people were confronting with the "red- shirts" protesters at the Sala Daeng Intersection, the Nation news group said.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva summoned an urgent security meeting soon after the explosions.
On North Sathorn road, some two kilometers from the explosion sites, dozens of soldiers with guns are seen patrolling.
Bangkok Skytrain authority has suspended services of four stations and the Subway authority has suspended services of five stations after the bomb blasts.
Meanwhile, the red-shirts protesters who camped nearby lit at least 10 fireworks to prevent army helicopters from entering the area.
On Thursday evening, the Civil Court issued an injunction against the use of force to break up the "red-shirt" rally at Rajprasong Intersection.
But the court noted that the demonstration affected the public so the government could use internationally-accepted measures to deal with the protesters from lighter to harsher measures.
Sansern Kaewkamnerd spokesman for the Centre for the Resolutions of Emergency Situations or CRES said in a telephone with TPBS TV that the army will not disperse the "red-shirt" protesters Thursday night.
"Initial investigation shows that the grenade were fired from the Suan Lum (Night Bazaar) about one km from Silom or near the red-shirts rally site," he said. "It is not the work by the army."
But the "red-shirts" leaders at a rally site quickly denied that the "red-shirts" have any connection with the blasts.
Late Wednesday night, hundreds of Bangkok residents threw things at "red-shirts" protesters, prompting an attack from the protesters, leaving at least 20 injured, including two foreigners.
