At Least 27 Dead As Bomb Blast Rocks Thailand’s Capital

A motorcycle bomb has exploded in a commercial and tourist center in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital.

The blast was near the Erawan shrine at a major Bangkok intersection, police said.

At least 27 people have been killed and scores more have been injured, according to local media reports.

Among those killed were foreign tourists and officials say the attack was aimed at destroying the economy and tourism

Nearby offices have reportedly been evacuated, according to reports on social media.

News.com.au reports: Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwong said: “It was a TNT bomb… the people who did it targeted foreigners and to damage tourism and the economy.”

Local media reported two unexploded bombs have been found at Ratchaprasong near the blast zone, with Thai police reportedly deactivating one. The local bomb squad also reportedly found other bombs in a taxi nearby.

“We are now looking for another two to three bombs as we have found one suspicious object,” Prawut Thavornsiri told Reuters.

“There could be another explosion, so we have blocked off the crime scene and are asking bystanders to move back.”

A witness said: “This is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this in Bangkok. I saw five bodies near a shrine.”

A Periscope user who was streaming video live from the scene said: “I heard a boom. I thought it was thunder. But then on Twitter people were saying that something ominous had happened.”

Bystander Alessandro Ursic told the BBC: “When I arrived they had already cleared the bodies from the ground outside the Erawan shrine but there were and there are still pieces of human flesh strewn around the intersection; it’s really graphic.”

Witness Richard Srikureja said: “I was walking to a mall right next to the shrine and I heard a huge blast and people were just sprinting everywhere. It was total chaos and it’s right in the middle of Bangkok.”

Police and paramedics rushed to the scene after the bomb went off, evacuating the immediate area.