The death toll following the bombing at the Erawan Shrine at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok has so far left 20 dead and another 125 injured.

The latest from police and military spokespeople say a bomb, with around 3Kgs of TNT, was placed under a bench within the shrine and it exploded around 6.55pm on Monday evening.

The force of the blast left motorbikes and cars at the busy intersection ablaze. CCTV footage captured the moment the bomb exploded sending those around running for cover and leaving twelve dead at the scene and dozens more injured.

As yet, there are no confirmed numbers on the nationalities of those killed or injured although many of the hospital lists show what appears to be the names of many Chinese. Thai media reports suggest most of the deceased are foreigners.

Updated Tuesday 18th 10.30am:: Nationalities of victims. Thai (5), China (2), Hong Kong (2), Malaysia (2), Singapore (1), Unknown (8)

Two other devices were found close by which turned out to be dummy bombs following inspection by bomb disposal teams. Soldiers and police were deployed to check other high-risk locations across Bangkok including Silom, Pathumwan, Thonglor and Sukhumvit Road. There have been no reports of any devices found at these or any other locations in the capital.

The PM has not declared a state of emergency or ordered schools and businesses closed Tuesday as was being falsely reported on social media. However, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced that all 438 city schools would be closed Tuesday for safety reasons.

Ratchaprasong Intersection will be closed to traffic until noon Tuesday for evidence collection with malls in the area open as normal. The Skywalk between the BTS Chidlom and Siam stations will remain closed until further notice.

The Thai government and foreign embassies have issued statements asking for people to remain calm and be vigilant, with some nations advising their citizens to avoid the Ratchaprasong area.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack that was obviously carried out with the sole intention of killing both Thais and foreigners.

Dashcam footage of the blast

The Erawan shrine is located at a busy junction and a popular place of worship for both Thais and tourists. It sits close to many top hotels, shopping malls and offices.





