4 killed, 48 injured as explosive goes off at Tak’s Red Cross fair
Hunt on for perpetrator who threw military-grade improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device went off at a Red Cross fair dancing event in Umphang district of Tak province in the early hours of Saturday, killing four people, Umphang Police Station said.
The explosion killed two persons instantly and injured several others at the scene, which was packed with participants of the Paen Din Doi Loy Fah event, an annual festival organised by the Tak Red Cross Society, police said.
Two more victims succumbed to injuries at Umphang Hospital, bringing the fatalities to four. The number of injured people rose to 48, including a 14-year-old.
Police officers are interviewing witnesses for details of the perpetrator, who was seen throwing the bomb into a group of revellers.
Investigators believe the bomber is not an ordinary citizen as the explosive appears to be of military grade, judging from the destruction.
Tak police chief Pol Maj-General Samrit Ekamol personally investigated the scene on Saturday and ordered officials of Umphang and Mae Sot stations to track down the attacker as soon as possible. He expressed confidence that the suspect would be caught today.
