SONGKHLAThe mayor of Songkhla municipality Peera Tantiseranee was shot dead last night after a meeting with southern non-governmental organisations to discuss radioactive material storage safety.
Attackers sprayed the 54-year-old with bullets from assault rifles as he left Songkhla Forum Co on Nakhon Nai Road.
He was gunned down as he was about to get into his van parked in front of the building at 7.30pm.
Witnesses told police that at least three attackers used M16 and carbine rifles to shoot Peera. They then sped off in a Toyota Vigo pickup truck with the licence plate number 7856 Songkhla.
Police found at least 50 spent machine gun shells at the scene.
Police said they are aware that Peera had several conflicts concerning municipal affairs. An investigation is under way.
Police said, however, they have yet to determine the motive for the shooting and whether it is related to the latest discovery of radioactive materials in Songkhla province or not.
Science and Technology Minister Woravat Au-apinyakul yesterday said there was nothing to fear following the latest find. The discovery was made in a warehouse in a residential area in Songkhla's Maung district. The warehouse belongs to Schlumberger Overseas S. A, an oil exploration support services company.
Residents had last week voiced their concern over the radioactive material with the Songkhla governor.
Officials from the Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP) had inspected the warehouse and found no sign of any radioactive leaks, Mr Woravat said.
''Please don't panic. The amount of radioactive material is quite small and is no different from that used in general hospitals,'' the minister said.
Songsak Thongchai, a member of the OAP's sub-committee that grants licences for the handling of radioactive material confirmed his team had conducted a thorough inspection of the warehouse. ''We found that storage measures taken by the company complied with the International Atomic Energy Agency's safety standards,'' he said.