The gunman is still on the loose
At least 30 people have been killed after a former police officer opened fire at a pre-school child daycare centre in Thailand, police say, as a manhunt is underway for the killer.
Police have released a picture of a man they are seeking after the attack in Nong Bua Lamphu, in the north-east of the country.
The shooting took place at the Child Development Center in Uthaisawan Na Klang district, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office.
“The prime minister has expressed his condolences on the shooting incident which resulted in 30 deaths,” the statement reads.
Police say children and adults are among the casualties.
Some reports suggest the death toll is at least 30.
Police say the attacker shot and stabbed children and adults and is now on the run.
The motive for the attack is not yet clear, but reports suggest the officer was fired from the police force last year for failing a drugs test and was due to go on trial on Friday.
🇹🇭 THAI NEWS REPORTS: Thai media reporting a shooting incident at a Child Development Center in Na Klang District of Nong Bua Lamphu Province. Exact number of deaths not confirmed yet but this is being reported as a major incident. #กราดยิงหนองบัวลำภู #Thailand pic.twitter.com/WeLzkEqhBj
— Thai News Reports (@ThaiNewsReports) October 6, 2022
The suspect was last seen driving a white Toyota pick-up truck with Bangkok plates 6กธ-6499, local media reported, and is considered armed and very dangerous.
Mass shootings in Thailand are rare, the BBC noted.
In 2020 a soldier killed 21 people and injured dozens more in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima.
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