Bangkok explosions leave two dead
Police examine scene of one blast at Bangkok's Kong Toey market.
Bombs are relatively rare in the Thai capital
A series of small explosions has left two people dead and at least 20 injured in the Thai capital, Bangkok.
At least six blasts at widely-scattered places occurred within an hour or so as streets were filling up with people ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations.
The city mayor ordered the cancellation of two major public celebrations and other smaller ones, AP reported.
Police do not believe foreign groups or militants from the Muslim south are to blame, says the BBC's Jonathan Head.
Our Bangkok correspondent says many Thais suspect the bombs were the work of opponents of the current military government, which forced Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from office in September.
There was a big bang and people started screaming and running
Chalermsak Sanbee
Witness
The largest bomb or grenade explosion went off near a bus station next to one of Bangkok's busiest intersections, Victory Monument.
Police said this caused the biggest number of casualties.
Reports suggest the device was planted beneath a seat at a bus stop or in a rubbish bin.
One witness who was standing nearby, 17-year-old Chalermsak Sanbee told Reuters news agency:
"There was a big bang and people started screaming and running. I saw people with blood all over their legs and faces."
Other blasts were reported:
* close to a police post in the Saphan Kwai district
* at a car park in the Seacon Square shopping mall
* at a market in the Klong Toey district
* in Kae Lai district in the northern suburb of Nonthaburi
* along Sukhumvit Road in the north-east
National police chief General Ajirawit Suphanaphesat said the authorities were inspecting other locations where suspicious packages were found.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6221177.stm
Last edited by Kmarion (2006-12-31 09:11:22)
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