Bomb blast in Bangkok kills at least 19

National police chief Somyot Poompummuang said that 10 Thais had been confirmed dead, along with one Chinese and one Filipino.

Also, according to the rescue agency 78 people were wounded and media said majority were from Taiwan and China. “There could be another explosion, so we have blocked off the crime scene and are asking bystanders to move back”.

Police said first an improvised explosive device fastened to a utility pole in front of the temple at the Ratchaprasong intersection detonated which was immediately followed by a motorbike bomb blast, causing two nearby taxis to explode.

The Thai Government has said the attack was designed to harm their tourism industry, but as of yet nobody has claimed responsibility.

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

“But it was clear that the perpetrators intended to destroy the economy and tourism, because the incident occurred in the heart of Bangkok’s business district”, Mr Prawit told the Bangkok Post.

At least 18 people have been killed after a bomb exploded in central Bangkok, emergency services have said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs say they are aware of the situation, but have “no confirmation of Irish casualties”. “There were bodies everywhere”, Marko Cunningham, a new paramedic from New Zealand, told Reuters.

A popular tourist attraction, it often features performances by resident Thai dance troupes, who are hired by worshippers in return for seeing their prayers at the shrine answered. “There were legs where heads were supposed to be – It was horrific”, Cunningham said. Despite earlier suspicions, authorities did not find more bombs. Other footage purportedly showed the moment of the blast.

In February, a pipe bomb in a mall in the same part of Bangkok exploded, injuring one person.

The shrine was the sight of a 2010 mass protest against the Thai military after a violent coup outed the former elected prime minister.