A deadly explosion rocked a commercial hub of Bangkok, Thailand, during the evening rush hour on Monday.
Reuters, citing local police and a rescue worker, reported that at least 12 people were dead after a bomb blast in front of the Erawan Shrine, a Hindu shrine that is popular with tourists and locals.
"All I can say now is there has been an explosion in central Bangkok involving a motorcycle bomb," deputy national police chief Aek Angsananond told Talk911.
A BBC correspondent at the scene said there were "body parts scattered everywhere" and a crater, indicating a bombing, which is rare in the city. People near the shrine were hit by the “full force of the blast,” the BBC reported, Burned motorbikes could be seen in the road.
The explosion shattered the Rajprasong intersection, a center of many political demonstrations in recent years.
"There are body parts strewn in the intersection," Voice of America's Steven Herman told CNN.
Police said they have found a suspicious object near the blast site and are concerned about a second explosion.
"We are now looking for another two to three bombs as we have found one suspicious object," national police chief Prawut Thawornsiri told Reuters. "There could be another explosion, so we have blocked off the crime scene and are asking bystanders to move back."
Richard Sri-kureja told the BBC he was walking to a mall next to the shrine when he heard the blast.
"There was total chaos," he said. "That area is usually very, very crowded as it's in the middle of the city and it's usually very packed. A local hotel is full of injured patients."
Thailand experienced a military coup in May 2014. The government was dissolved, replaced by a military-dominated national legislature. The legislature unanimously elected General Prayut Chan-o-cha, commander of the Royal Thai Army, as prime minister. Prayut cracked down on dissent and banned criticism of his government.
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