Death toll rises in Bangkok bomb blast

BANGKOK — A deadly bomb blast Monday rocked a downtown shopping and tourism hub here during the evening rush hour, killing at least 18 people and injuring scores more, authorities said.

“It sounded like thunder,” said Alexander Hotz, an American filmmaker who works in the area. “We were sitting in the office, and at first we thought it was just an amazingly loud rainstorm coming through. Then one of our Thai interns came back upstairs and told us that things were going crazy.”

A BBC correspondent said there were "body parts scattered everywhere" and a crater, indicating a bombing. People near the Erawan Shrine, a Hindu religious site where the explosion took place, were hit by the “full force of the blast,” the BBC reported. Burned motorbikes could be seen in the road.

Police initially said they found a suspicious object near the blast site and were concerned about a second explosion. Later, national police chief Somyot Poompummuang told the Associated Press the object had been determined to be harmless.

At least 18 people were confirmed dead and 117 injured, AP said, citing emergency officials. The Bangkok Post, citing the Royal Thai Police, put the death toll at 19.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast.

The Post said an improvised explosive device placed inside the shrine complex detonated at 6.55 p.m. local time. The newspaper said the scale of the explosion set motorbikes and taxis ablaze near the Rajprasong intersection, cite of political protests in recent years.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan condemned the bombing and expressed condolences to the families of the dead and injured. He told the Post it was too soon to say if the attacks were politically motivated.

"But it was clear that the perpetrators intended to destroy the economy and tourism, because it occurred in the heart of (Bangkok's) business district," Prawit said.

The White House also condemned the attack and said U.S. officials would remain in close contact with Thai authorities investigating the blast. The statement, from National Security Council spokesman Ned Price, extended "our deepest condolences to all those affected by the explosion."

While such attacks are rare here, there have been smaller incidents in recent months. In February, a small, homemade pipe bomb exploded near a Bangkok shopping mall. In March, grenades were tossed in front of the Central Criminal Court in Bangkok, and in April seven people were injured in parking lot blast in the tourist island of Koh Samui.

It was not clear Monday why the shrine was targeted. More than 90% of Thailand's 66 million people are Buddhist, with Hindus making up a tiny fraction of the rest. About 5% of the population is Islamic, and there has been some religious unrest involving Islamic separatists in southern Thailand in recent years.

Thailand experienced a military coup in May 2014. The government was dissolved, replaced by a military-dominated national legislature. The current prime minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, has cracked down on dissent and banned criticism of his government.

Anna Mallika, a Thai-American auditor, said she was in an exercise class when the blast hit.

"We heard the most almighty bang,” Mallika said. “Most of us thought that something was wrong, but the instructor told us that it was probably just a car crash or something like that. Minutes later we saw people running and panicking outside the window.

Richard Sri-kureja told the BBC he was walking to a mall next to the shrine when he heard the blast.

"There was total chaos," he said. "That area is usually very, very crowded as it's in the middle of the city and it's usually very packed. A local hotel is full of injured patients."

Bacon reported from McLean, Va. Contributing: Jane Onyanga-Omara in London.