Five killed, 50 injured in Hat Yai blasts
Hat Yai, Songkhla - Five people were killed and over 50 others were injured in four bomb attacks Saturday night.
The four bombs went off nearly at the same time at 9 pm.The first blast occurred at the entrance to This' Wonder Pub located in the underground floor of Odion Shopping Mall Center on Thammanoon Withi Road. Then, another bomb went off at the entrance of the car park of Odion Shopping Mall on the side of Sanehha Nusorn Road. The third bomb exploded in front of a massage parlour about 70 metres away from the two first bombs. The fourth bomb exploded in front of Big C superstore. Police said the bomb at the massage parlour killed five men immediately because the blast occurred while they were walking into the parlour. About 50 injured people had been rushed to the Hat Yai Hospital. The sounds of the blasts prompted some 1,000 Thai and foreign tourists to flee from their hotels, causing turmoil on the roads. Following the bombs, many entertainment venues asked the patrons to leave and they closed down for fear of more attacks. Fourth Army Area commander Lt Gen Ongkorn Thongprasom said he had deployed bomb disposal officers to Hat Yai to check for more bombs and ordered the cancellation of mobile phone signals in the area for fear that militants would use mobile phones to detonate more bombs. Some businessmen in Hat Yai said they had received warnings from the authorities that the militants might launch attacks to mark the anniversary of the Patani State on September 16. The Nation
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