Bangkok Attacked

BANGKOK ATTACKED

Bangkok Attacked — A bomb placed inside a Bangkok religious shrine frequented by tourists exploded Monday evening, killing at least 19 people, hurling body parts onto the pavement, shattering building windows and creating panic in one of the city’s most popular districts.

At least 123 people were reported wounded in what Thailand’s top police official and others called a vicious act meant to target helpless civilians.

The explosion came at a particularly busy time of day at the Erawan Shrine, an important tourist attraction in Bangkok’s main shopping area.

But Thai officials offered no clue as to who might have been responsible for the blast, which appeared to be the worst by far in a series of explosions that have occasionally disrupted the country since the Thai military seized power in a May 2014 coup.