Bangkok, Thailand, August 19, — A bomb attack in Bangkok took place on 17 August 2015 outside the Erawan Shrine at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, Thailand. Twenty-five people were killed, including six Chinese citizens, and 123 were injured.
A woman lights candles at the Erawan shrine in memory of the victims of the blast. (Reuters: Kerek Wongsa)
The Royal Thai Police reported that twenty-one people were killed, including 10 Thais, four people from mainland China, two people from Hong Kong, five Malaysians, one Filipino and one Singaporean.
Police are hunting a suspect, the man could be of “mixed origin”, who left a backpack at the scene shortly before the explosion.[3] Thailand’s chief of police said the attack was carried out by a network and issued a sketch of the suspect. Police are also saying that two other people seen on images captured by closed-circuit television were being treated as suspects.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying offered sympathy to the families of two Hong Kong residents who died in the Bangkok bomb attack. Leung wished the injured a speedy recovery. He said Hong Kong Immigration Department officials are in Bangkok, to help people from Hong Kong.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying’s Remarks on the Explosion in Thailand
Q: An explosion occurred on August 17 in central Bangkok, Thailand, killing 19 people including Chinese nationals and injuring more than 100. What is China’s comment on this? What actions has China taken in response to this?
A: On the night of August 17 local time, an explosion occurred in central Bangkok, Thailand and caused major casualties. According to the preliminary verification by the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, the explosion killed 4 Chinese tourists, including 2 Hong Kong residents, and injured more than 20 Chinese tourists. The Chinese side strongly condemns the explosion, extends deepest condolences to the victims including the Chinese nationals, and expresses sincere sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured.
After the explosion, the Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Thailand immediately activated emergency response, and spared no efforts in arranging relevant work. The Chinese Embassy in Thailand sent officials to the site and the local hospitals to check on the conditions of the affected Chinese. It has been in contact with relevant departments of the Thai government, urging the Thai side to find out the facts, do the very best to treat the injured, make proper arrangements for the deceased, and take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese people and institutions in Thailand.
On the morning of August 18, Foreign Minister Wang Yi convened an emergency inter-ministerial coordination meeting to collect information about the conditions of Chinese nationals and analyze the security situation in Thailand. Various departments mapped out their responsibilities in the follow-up work concerning the deceased, in treating the injured and consoling the affected families, and in making representations with the Thai side.
On the afternoon of August 18, leading official of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry met with senior official of the Thai Embassy in China, urging the Thai side to treat the injured with the best efforts, make proper arrangements for the follow-up matters, bring perpetrators to justice, and take measures to ensure the safety of Chinese people and institutions in Thailand.
China will remain in close contact with the Thai side, make the best arrangements for the deceased and the injured, and take active measures to ensure the safety and the interests of Chinese people and institutions in Thailand.