Thailand: Government Calls For Calm After Three Die In Blast

The Thai government asked the public to stay calm after a blast damaged an apartment building in northern Bangkok on Tuesday, leaving three people dead and nine others wounded.

"I believe the government can control the situation", said Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban after the most recent in a series of blasts carried out to create political chaos in the country. "The situation is still normal", added Thaugsuban.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, currently in Brussels to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting, offered his condolences to the victims of the explosion on Wednesday and instructed police to "investigate and clarify the incident to the public promptly".

The explosion targeted Samarn Metta Mansion in Nonthaburi province's Thippawan housing estate, 40 km north of capital Bangkok, at around 6 pm local time, hours after the Thai government decided to extend emergency rule in Bangkok, Nonthaburi as well as two more central provinces for three months.

The block collapsed partially and authorities evacuated people from the building, fearing that the whole structure may fall down.  

The police said it was looking for a suspect captured on CCTV cameras close to the explosion.

Vichien Potephosri, the chief general of National Police, said that investigators have found pieces of a battery that is believed to be a part of the bomb that caused the explosion.

More than 10 blasts have hit the Thai capital since April-May, when anti-government protests and a military raid left 90 people dead and over 18,00 wounded.