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On Monday night, at 7pm local time, a three kilogram pipe bomb exploded outside Bangkok's Erawan Shrine. At the time of writing, 20 hours after the incident took place, the blast had killed at least 22 people and wounded 123 others. The blast charred much of the surrounding area, mangling the shrine's wrought iron gates, and obliterating several vehicles in the blast zone. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. Two other bombs were located with sniffer dogs and safely defused, and while there were rumors of other explosives downtown, none were confirmed and there have been no further incidents.
Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said the authorities had no idea about the attack, and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha described the bombing as "the worst incident that has ever happened in Thailand".
Located in a popular tourist area, the shrine is dedicated to the Hindu god Brahma. It's extremely popular with Buddhists and Chinese tourists, and is considered a symbol of Thailand's deep religious beliefs and culture. Some even believe the site holds mystical powers.
At least three Chinese, two Singaporeans, one Philippine national and two Hong Kong residents are believed to have been killed. The number of Chinese speaking casualties is so large that hospitals have put out calls for Chinese speakers to come in to assist with translations.