20 die, 825 injured in Thai clashes
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The death toll in Saturday night's clashes between protesters and security forces has risen to 20 while the number of the injured went up to 825, according to the updated information of the Erawan emergency medical center by 6:00 a.m. Sunday.
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Red shirts protesters rally in Bangkok on April 10. So far 825 people were injured in the clashes between red shirts protesters and the security forces in Bangkok. [Xinhua/AFP, File Photo] |
The center of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said that the injured are being treated in the General, Hua Chiew, Mission, Phra Mongkutkhao and other hospitals.
The Natiion online quoted Erawan's director Phetpong Kamchornkijakarn as saying late last night that of the casualties, nine were civilians and two were soldiers. Of the civilians killed, eight were red-shirt protesters, while the ninth was a Japanese man who worked as a photographer for Thomson-Reuters.
The Japanese photographer, Hiroyuki Muramoto, died from a gunshot wound to his chest.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, in a nationally- televised TV speech Saturday night, expressed sorrow for the deaths in the clashes and promised to conduct an independent probe into the deaths.
The clashes occurred Saturday afternoon and evening as the government tried to retake the Ratchaprasong Intersection and Phan Fah Bridge, two major rally sites for the anti-government "red- shirts", who have been staging a rolling rally in Bangkok since March 12 demanding a House dissolution. The situation seemed getting out of control as the "red-shirts" protesters and security forces started to exchange fire and throw grenades at the Khokwua intersection, 700m away from the Phan Fah Bridge, at about 8:10 p.m.
Shortly after the gunshots were heard, the Government House was attacked by two grenades at about 8:20 p.m.
As the exchange of fire was on, more people, including civilians, were wounded in the chaos and the public were trying to coordinate to get ambulances into the clash site to bring the injured to hospitals.
The Nation TV quoted the Central Hospital as saying that among the deaths in that hospital are some "red-shirts" protesters and one Japanese reporter who worked for Reuters.
The confrontation between "red-shirts" and the security forces Saturday evening in Bangkok ceased temporarily as the army retreated while the "red-shirts" had retreated to their rally sites.
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