Three killed and dozens injured during bombing of festival with ‘military explosive’

At least three people have been killed and dozens more injured after an annual festival in Thailand was bombed on Saturday night.

Chaos descended on celebrations in Umphang town in Tak province, which borders Myanmar, as a military-grade improvised explosive was hurled at the crowd.

People were singing and dancing when the homemade device went off at the fair.

Victims were left lying on the ground around the crater of the bomb in front of the retro stage.

Police said 48 people were wounded, with five of them seriously, while two were pronounced dead at the scene of the bombing and a third one on the way to the hospital.

Before emergency services arrived at the scene, some victims were even rushed to hospital on little bikes.

Two suspects have since been arrested over the bombing and are now in police custody.

Thanathip Sawangsang, a spokesperson for the Defence Ministry, said that police at the scene confirmed there was a fight between two ‘rival groups’ of men before the explosion.

Police said there was no wider security threat.

Sawangsang added that the forensic evidence showed that the explosive device was a homemade bomb.

Tak province has a heavy military presence in its border areas, including in Umphang.

Prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her condolences to the victims and their families, and ordered security personnel and relevant agencies in the area to investigate and help those who have been affected.

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