CCTV footage retraces blast suspect’s steps
BANGKOK: Closed-circuit television footage of a man who entered a Bangkok temple shortly before a blast that killed 22 people could shed light on who was behind the unprecedented attack.
The video, taken from cameras near the glittering Hindu shrine in the city’s bustling commercial hub on Monday, shows the young man, who authorities have identified as a suspect, in a bright yellow T-shirt with an indiscernible motif and shorts.
He walks calmly into the tourist attraction with a backpack and then sits down.
Moments later, he takes the backpack off, stands up and walks out holding only a blue plastic bag and what appears to be a cellphone. The rucksack is left by a fence as tourists mill around, taking photographs of a statue of the Hindu god Brahma.
Footage taken from a different angle shows the man, with shaggy, black hair and wearing what appear to be wristbands, leaving the temple and heading towards the upmarket Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel, just metres away.
The time stamp on the video at that point is just after 6.40pm.
The bomb went off during rush hour on Monday as tourists prayed at the shrine and office workers were commuting home.
The explosion, which was heard just before 7pm, unleashed havoc, with scenes of blood-smeared pavements, shattered glass and pieces of human flesh.
No group had come forward to claim responsibility for the attack. The military government said it had not ruled out any group but had yet to publicly offer any plausible answers. – Reuters