30-6-2024 (BANGKOK) A shocking car bomb explosion rocked a police housing complex in the Bannang Sata district of Thailand’s southern Yala province on Sunday morning, leaving at least one person dead and 16 others injured. The blast, which occurred around 10:30 a.m., targeted a flat belonging to the Bannang Sata police station, causing extensive damage and sending shockwaves through the local community.
The powerful explosion, triggered by a gas cylinder planted in a stolen blue Toyota vehicle, shattered glass panes and ceiling tiles in the police flat and nearby houses. The impact was severe, prompting authorities to cordon off the blast site amidst fears of potential follow-up attacks.
Pol Lt Gen Piyawat Chalermsri, the commissioner of Provincial Police Region 9, provided chilling details about the incident. According to his statement, the vehicle used in the attack was a blue Toyota stolen from a government agency on Saturday and registered in Betong district, Yala. The car caught fire after the detonation, with adjacent vehicles also sustaining damage.
In the aftermath of the blast, Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong identified the sole fatality as 45-year-old teacher Rokiyoh Sarana, a native of Bannang Sata. Tragically, she was passing by the scene when the bomb detonated, becoming an innocent victim of the senseless violence.
The explosion left a trail of destruction and injuries, with 16 people wounded, including six police officers and ten local residents. Five individuals sustained serious injuries from shrapnel and flying glass, while others suffered chest pains. All the injured were rushed to Bannangsata Hospital for immediate medical treatment.
