At least 27 reported killed as bomb rocks central Bangkok

Motorcycles are strewn about after an explosion in Bangkok, Monday, Aug. 17, 2015. (AP Photo/Jerry Harmer)

Devastating blast goes off outside Erawan Shrine in downtown district; Jerusalem: No Israeli casualties reported so far

(SOURCE)  A bomb exploded outside a religious shrine in central Bangkok on Monday evening local time, killing at least 27 people and wounding scores more.

Body parts were scattered across the street after the bomb went off outside the Erawan Shrine in the downtown Chidlom district of the Thai capital, an area popular with tourists.

At least two bombs were found at the scene, said Maj. Gen. Weerachon Sukhondhapatipak, a spokesman for Thailand’s ruling junta. He said at least one had detonated.

At least four foreigners were among the dead, Reuters said, while the local newspaper Bangkok Post said that most of the wounded were foreigners. Unconfirmed reports suggested many were from China and Taiwan.

Thai rescue workers carry an injured person after a bomb exploded outside a religious shrine in central Bangkok late on August 17, 2015. (AFP Photo/Pornchai Kittiwongsakul)

The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said it had no information about Israeli casualties. In a statement, the ministry said it was in continuous contact with the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok to receive updates on what initial reports suggest may have been a terror attack. The embassy is operating under a special protocol and will continue to operate in this manner in the coming hours, the ministry said without elaborating.

The blast hit at around 6:30 pm when the streetside shrine was packed with worshipers.

“I can confirm it was a bomb, we can’t tell which kind yet, we are checking,” national police spokesman Lt. Gen. Prawut Thavornsiri told AFP.

An Associated Press reporter at the scene said he saw one body and scattered body parts from multiple victims, while two people were being put into ambulances.

The explosion took place at the Rajprasong intersection, the site of many contentious political demonstrations in recent years.

Thailand is a favorite tourist destination for Israelis. According to the Israel Airports Authority, some 212,000 Israelis visited the east Asian country in 2014.

Thailand’s capital has been relatively peaceful since a military coup ousted a civilian government in May last year after several months of sometimes violent political protests against the previous government. However, there has been some tension in recent months as the junta has made clear it may not hold elections until 2017 and wants a constitution that will allow some type of emergency rule to take the place of an elected government.

Car bombs are almost unknown in Bangkok, but have been used in southern Thailand, where a Muslim separatist insurgency has been flaring in several years.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.