Three dead, several injured in attack on antigovernment protesters
At least three people died and many others were injured in the latest attack on an antigovernment rally at the Democracy Monument early this morning.
Police said M-79 grenades landed near the monument on the Din Sor Road side. An M16 assault rifle was also used in the attack with bullet wounds consistent with a rifle clearly identifiable on the victims’ bodies.
Witnesses told police that following the explosion, a white pickup truck sped through the Khok Wua intersection where People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) guards were posted and its passengers opened fire.
The BMA's Erawan Emergency Medical Centre later reported that 24 were wounded in the attack. They were sent to Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) General Hospital and Huachiew Hospital.
The two dead men were identified as Narayot Chanphet, 21, from Surat Thani and Somkuan Nuankhanai, 51, from Chumphon. They were pronounced dead at Huachiew and BMA General hospitals respectively. Narayot was shot in the chest and belly while Somkuan was hit in his chest and leg.
The third victim, whose name has not yet been revealed, succumbed to injuries this morning.
Four persons were still being treated at Huachiew Hospital, while seven remained at BMA General Hospital.
Police said three M-79 grenades landed on a roof of a hotel near the monument and blew holes in rooms, injuring an undisclosed number of people. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire for several minutes following the explosion and rifle attack.
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