Four dead, 118 hurt Thailand bomb attacks

Bangkok: Four people were killed and 118 people were injured in three consecutive bombings in an area frequented by tourists at a town on Malaysia-Thailand border, media reports said on Saturday.

According to Bangkok Biz News online, the blast that killed three Malaysians occurred Friday evening.

The first explosion occurred around 6.55 p.m. Friday outside a beer bar in Sungai Kolok district. When police officers arrived at the scene to start investigation, another bomb went off around 300 metres away, reported Xinhua. Later, a nearby restaurant and adjacent buildings were torn apart by a third bomb hidden in a car which was parked outside the restaurant.

It was not yet clear whether it was a terror bombing.

Of the total wounded bomb victims, 75 were allowed to return home, 43 were admitted to hospitals. Seven of them are in critical condition and two are receiving medical treatment in the intensive care units, according to the Thai public health ministry. According to the police, the triple bombing caused damage to at least 14 vehicles, 10 shops and one hotel. The third explosion, which was the deadliest, also caused electricity blackout in the district.

The police said they estimated that about eight people took part in the operation.
IANS