Bangkok: At least 36 people were injured today when a blast hit an anti-government protest march here demanding the ouster of Thai premier Yingluck Shinawatra, raising fears of violence in the run up to the February 2 snap polls.
The blast occurred at the rally led by opposition leader and Peoples Democratic Reforms Committee (PDRC) movement Chief Suthep Thaugsuban, who escaped unhurt.
“When the incident happened and perpetrators threw the explosive, Suthep was 30 metres away,” Akanat Promphan, a spokesman for the movement, said. Security guards whisked Suthep away to an unknown location.
The Erawan Emergency Centre, which monitors Bangkok hospitals, said 36 people were being treated for injuries caused by the blast at Banthat Thong.
The bomb, either an improvised explosive or a giant firecracker, went off as protesters were passing along the street near an intersection, damaging a pick-up truck.
