Turmoil descended on the South yesterday when three bomb explosions rocked Yala and a blaze gutted a luxurious hotel in Songkhla, causing at least 14 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
DAY OF DEATH IN THE SOUTH
Thick smoke pours from the ground floor of the Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel as firefighters struggle to control a blaze that killed five people and injured more than 350 others. Below, right and centre, many guests and workers had to be rescued from the building. Authorities said the fire was caused by an explosion. As of press time, they had yet to find any evidence linking the fire to bombings in the South yesterday. PHOTO: WICHAYANT BOONCHOTE, EPA AND AP
Nine people were killed and more than 100 others wounded in three bomb attacks in Yala's downtown area, while an explosion that caused a fire at Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel and shopping mall in Songkhla's Hat Yai district killed five and left more than 350 injured.
Authorities confirmed that the bombs in Yala were made by insurgents but could not confirm if the incident in Hat Yai was linked to terrorism.
But Hat Yai mayor Prai Pattano, who had earlier ruled out a terror attack, changed his mind after inspecting the scene, saying he believed it was terrorism.
Chaos struck shortly before 12pm in the business area of Yala's Muang district when two bombs went off on Sai Ruam Mit Road. The explosives, weighing 60-70kg, were stored in two 15kg gas cylinders and put in an Isuzu pickup truck. Recovered from the blast site were parts of damaged gas cylinders and electronic circuits and power cables.
As authorities rushed to the scene, another bomb exploded in front of a convenience store about 20m away. The bomb was planted in a Toyota pickup truck.
GRIM TASK: Forensic officers inspect the wreckage of a car damaged in an explosion near Mae Lan police station in Pattani’s Mae Lan district. PHOTO: ABDULLOH BENJAKAT
Shophouses, parked cars and motorcycles near the blast sites were set on fire. The two pickup trucks used in the attacks and the suspects were captured on surveillance cameras. The Isuzu truck was suspected to have been used in the recent attack on a security checkpoint in tambon Kalor of Raman district.
In less than one hour, a major fire engulfed Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel, which houses a hotel and shopping complex, following an explosion from the basement car park. Four men and one woman were found dead. Three of the bodies were recovered from the basement.
More than 350 people were injured. Most suffered from smoke inhalation and cuts from shattered glasses and windows.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said authorities had been told to urgently investigate and help victims.
Surin Weerasuk, who headed an inspection team from the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said initial evidence suggested a possible car bomb.
Songkhla Governor Krisada Boonrat said it was too early to conclude it was an attack. "No bomb device has been found so far. We need to investigate," he said.
A bomb expert said the fire could have been caused by liquid explosives.
Rescue operations were hindered by a lack of proper equipment. Hat Yai municipality sent a fire truck with a hydraulic platform to help douse the blaze but it could only reach the height of a four storey-building.
By late afternoon, the fire was under control.
Phetdao Tohmeena, daughter of former senator Den Tohmeena, said she was in a meeting at the Novotel opposite Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel when she heard a loud explosion,
"I could feel the impact. I saw smoke coming out and people sprinting out in panic. Some looked OK and some were injured," she said.
Songkhla police chief Pol Maj Gen Suwit Choensiri and Fourth Army Commander Lt Gen Udomchai Thamsarot ordered security to be stepped up in shopping malls and hotels in the province.
Yesterday's death toll represents the greatest carnage since August 2008 when two explosions rocked Hat Yai and five others hit downtown Songkhla.
In Pattani province, a small bomb exploded in a food shop, slightly injuring a police officer, police said.
A source close to the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre said yesterday that escalated violence was aimed at sending signals that insurgents do not want to negotiate with authorities.
