Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — A Filipino and two Chinese citizens were among those killed in an explosion Monday night (August 17) in Bangkok, near Erawan Shrine, one of the most popular tourist spots in the Thai capital.
There were also several other Chinese and Filipinos who were injured.
This information came from a Reuters report, filed at 12:50 a.m. on Tuesday (August 18), citing an unnamed police officer at the site of the explosion.
As of this posting, however, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has not issued a statement to confirm the report.
The explosion, said to have been caused by a pipe bomb, happened at 6:55 p.m. (7:55 p.m. PHT), killing at least 18 people and injuring 117 others, mostly foreign tourists, according to a report posted at 10 p.m. (11 p.m. PHT) at the website of the Bangkok Post.
Police spokesman Lt. Gen. Prawut Thavornsiri on Tuesday morning told Channel 3 that at least 22 people had been killed, marking the latest incremental uptick in the death toll, per a CNN report.
READ: Bomb explosion near Bangkok shrine kills 22 people
The Bangkok Post also reported that most of the injured, predominantly Asian tourists, were taken to Police General Hospital and Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital,
This is how Reuters described the explosion site:
“The shrine, on a busy corner near top hotels, shopping centers, offices and a hospital, is a major attraction, especially for visitors from East Asia, including China. Many ordinary Thais also worship there…
“The shrine intersection was the site of months of anti-government protests in 2010 by supporters of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Dozens were killed in a military crackdown and a shopping center was set ablaze.”
