45 injured and 4 seriously in latest bomb attack inside Government House

Not long after the attack on Government House, two explosions and bullets were sprayed into ASTV station; a bomb went off at Don Mueang Airport and a grenade was found at Chart Thai Party's car park.

The explosion at Government House occurred at 11.50pm on Saturday when the protesters were preparing to rest and the PAD leaders were about to stop their activities on the stage.

The bomb fell on the roof of a tent on the left side of the stage and fell onto the ground and exploded. Sixteen men and 29 women were sent to the Ramathibodi Hospital. Of the 45 injured people, 37 were released after treatment while 8 people remained in the hospital.

The bomb, believed by the PAD to be an M79 grenade, was fired from outside the rally ground, similar to a recent attack at the site.

Suriyasai Katasila said PAD guards saw a flash from the direction of the Benjamabophit Hospital so it was believed the grenade was launched from there.

PAD guards alerted police that two men were standing on a building under construction inside the Rajamangala University of Technology Phanakhon and asked them to check the building. But they said the police refused to go and check.

More than half of the injured were women and the elderly, who were hit by shrapnel.

Two women who remained in the intensive care unit were identified as Kanchana Muennoo, 27 and Jitra Jintanatham, 52. They are being treated for cerebral haemorrhage. Two other women in serious condition were Suphana Suwattana, 59, being treated for pulmonary edema as her lung was torn by the bomb shrapnel, and Pienjai.

Police from the Scientific Crime Detection Division, led by Pol Maj-General Anant Srihiran, said the bomb was fired from the same direction as on the previous occasion. He said police would find out if it was the same type of bomb.

Two explosions were heard at ASTV station at Ban Tha Phra Arthit at 12.30am yesterday, about 20 minutes after the attack at Government House.

PAD guards said they saw a suspicious high-speed boat on the Chao Phya River passing the station twice and two explosions were heard.

Several bullets were sprayed into the station and the guards shot back at the boat. No one was injured in the shooting and explosions.

Later on, at 3.55am, a bomb exploded near a bunker made of tyres at Don Mueang Airport.

The explosion occurred at the main entrance to the passenger terminal.

Before the explosion, about seven gunshots were heard from the direction of a warehouse deeper inside the airport compound. No one was injured in the explosion.

A grenade M67 was found at the car park of the Chart Thai Party's head office yesterday morning. Police said the bomb did not go off because the person who threw it did not know that it was a double safety bomb and the safety pin was not removed when the bomb was thrown. Police are checking surveillance cameras installed around the area to find the culprit.

Chart Thai deputy leader Nikorn Chamnong said he had sought police protection for the party's office.

Somsak Kosaisuk, a PAD leader, said that after a series of bomb attack, 12000 PAD guards would take turns to man the three protest sites including ASTV. The PAD guards will be stationed on high rises around Government House such as at the Civil Service Commission, Benchamaborpit Temple, and the Education Ministry.