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Bangkok bomb: New amateur footage captures moment of explosion outside Erawan shrine

The bomb, which killed at least 20 people, was detonated at rush hour in the heart of the Thai capital

Wednesday 19 August 2015 07:05 BST

Amateur footage shot by a Chinese tourist on their cell phone provides fresh insight into the moment a bomb exploded in the Thai capital Bangkok, killing at least 20 people and injuring 140 others.

The tourist's video shows the individual walking along a raised walkway roughly 100m from the where the blast took place. The overpass is very busy and shows individuals passing in both directions; the bomb detonated near a busy intersection in the centre of Bangkok.

A bright flash of orange and a loud bang interrupts the night-time bustle and the tourist is heard breathing heavily and panicking over what to do. Screams are heard; confusion reigns.

The improvised bomb blew up at around 7pm on Monday at the Erawan Shrine in the Thai capital, an open-air Hindu temple popular with both locals and tourists. Nine foreigners from several Asian countries were killed.

Police chief Somyot Poompanmoung says the bomb was made with a pipe wrapped in cloth and weighed 3kg. The bomb had a 100m blast radius.

On Tuesday, officials said they had identified a suspect wearing a yellow shirt who was seen on CCTV footage near the shrine.

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Bangkok Bombing

Motorcycles lie on the street at the scene of a bomb attack near Erawan Shrine, central Bangkok, Thailand, 17 August 2015. An explosion in a busy commercial district in the Thai capital killed a yet unconfirmed number of people. Witnesses said the explosion happened around 7:15 pm (1215 GMT) at the Rajprasong Intersection, a business area famous among tourists and locals for a revered Hindu shrine.

EPA

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

A general view taken from a moving train shows bodies covered in white sheets around the Erawan Shrine, central Bangkok, Thailand, 17 August 2015. An explosion in a busy commercial district in the Thai capital killed a yet unconfirmed number of people. Witnesses said the explosion happened around 7:15 pm (1215 GMT) at the Rajprasong Intersection, a business area famous among tourists and locals for a revered Hindu shrine.

EPA

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

Officials close off an intersection after an explosion in Bangkok, Monday, Aug. 17, 2015. A large explosion rocked a central Bangkok intersection during the evening rush hour, killing a number of people and injuring others, police said.

AP

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

A rescue workers near the scene of an explosion on August 17, 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand. A large explosion believed to be from a bomb has happened in central Bangkok this evening with early reports suggesting 12 people have died and at least 20 more have been injured

Getty

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

Motorcycles are strewn about after an explosion in Bangkok, Monday, Aug. 17, 2015. A large explosion rocked a central Bangkok intersection during the evening rush hour, killing a number of people and injuring others, police said

AP

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

A Thai soldier (R) looks at the damage after a bomb exploded outside a religious shrine in central Bangkok late on August 17, 2015 killing at least 10 people and wounding scores more. Body parts were scattered across the street after the explosion outside the Erawan Shrine in the downtown Chidlom district of the Thai capital.

AFP/Getty

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

A Thai soldier ropes off the scene after a bomb exploded outside a religious shrine in central Bangkok late on August 17, 2015 killing at least 10 people and wounding scores more. Body parts were scattered across the street after the explosion outside the Erawan Shrine in the downtown Chidlom district of the Thai capital.

AFP/Getty

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

Thai rescue workers carry an injured person after a bomb exploded outside a religious shrine in central Bangkok late on August 17, 2015 killing at least 10 people and wounding scores more. Body parts were scattered across the street after the explosion outside the Erawan Shrine in the downtown Chidlom district of the Thai capital.

AFP/Getty

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

Police chief Somyot Poompanmoung is interviewed by the press on August 17, 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand. A large explosion believed to be from a bomb has happened in central Bangkok on the evening of Tuesday 17th of August, 2015. Early reports suggest 12 people have died and at least 20 more injured.

Getty Images

Bangkok Bombing

Bangkok Bombing

Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers enter the Erawan Shrine after an explosion in Bangkok, Monday, Aug. 17, 2015. A large explosion rocked a central Bangkok intersection during the evening rush hour, killing a number of people and injuring others, police said.

AP

"That man was carrying a backpack and walked past the scene at the time of the incident. But we need to look at the before and after CCTV footage to see if there is a link," Somyot told a news conference.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said there were "still anti-government groups out there" but he did not give any further details.

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