Update: Thai PBS confirms 15 have been killed and at least 80 are injured.
Earlier:
An large explosion has ripped through central Bangkok.
Details are sparse thus far but early indications suggest multiple casualties. As AP reports [5], "a reporter at the scene said he saw one body and body parts, and two people taken into ambulances. The explosion took place at the Rajprasong intersection, which was the center of many contentious political demonstrations in recent years. It appeared to have occurred in front of the Erawan Shrine, a tourist landmark also popular with Thais."
[6]
Here are the headlines:
- THAI MEDIA REPORTING BLAST IN BANGKOK'S RATCHAPRASONG DISTRICT
- THAI REPORTS DON'T GIVE CAUSE OF EXPLOSION HEARD IN BANGKOK
- THAI POLICE SAY BANGKOK BLAST MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROVISED DEVICE
The following footage captures the moment of the explosion:
19.42?. ????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????? 5 ?? ??????? 25 ?? #onenews [7] pic.twitter.com/2DNDrI74Ah [8]
— ?????? onenews (@dekdue_03) August 17, 2015 [9]
And the visuals:
And more color from BBC [10]:
There has been a large explosion close to a shrine in the centre of the Thai capital, Bangkok.
The BBC's Jonathan Head, who is at the scene, says there appear to be both dead and injured, amid a huge amount of chaos.
He says there is a massive amount of damage and a crater that indicates this could be a bomb.
Our correspondent says that if it is a bomb, this would be a rare attack for the capital.
The explosion occurred at about 19:00 local time (12:00 GMT), with police saying it may have been caused by a motorcycle bomb.
No-one has yet claimed the attack.
There are burnt motorbikes on the main road, with paramedics and police trying to take the injured away, he says.
The shrine is to the Hindu god Brahma, but is also visited by thousands of Buddhists each day.
National police spokesman Lt Gen Prawut Thavornsiri told Agence France-Presse news agency: "I can confirm it was a bomb, we can't tell which kind yet, we are checking."
