Bomb Rocks Hat Yai Hotel, Over 200 People Trapped

[webfact]

Urgent: Bomb rocks Hat Yai hotel, over 200 people trapped

HAT YAI, SONGKHLA: -- A bomb exploded inside the Lee Garden Hotel in this southern border town Saturday afternoon.

About 200 guests and hotel staffs were trapped on the fourth floor and rescue workers were rushing to rescue them.

-- The Nation 2012-03-31

[webfact]

RT @RichardBarrow: 3:13pm Urgent plea for blood donation in Hat Yai hospitals of type A & O due to large number of patients - TR @so_miyeon

[webfact]

RT @tulsathit: Lee Garden Hotel in Hat Yai, hit by possibly gas explosion early this afternoon, remains chaotic. Guests still trapped by lower-floor fire.

[webfact]

RT @tulsathit: RT @BillyZed: Scene from Hat Yai http://bit.ly/Hvsn0s

[webfact]

RT @AsifAAhmad: UK advise against all but essential travel to the provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla.

[animatic]

More trouble, just what we needed.

Good luck to all trapped or injured.

[phuketrichard]

Bombs or gas explosion.??

Big difference as bombs hit Yala today

[Ianatlarge]

Wow, I stayed there. Yes, gas or bomb? It does not matter much if you are one of the injured, but I would like to know what is what. Sympathies to all concerned.

[webfact]

Photos: Pascal Fernandez/Thaivisa

[anterian]

A normal bomb has different acoustic characteristics to a gas explosion, a gas explosion propagates at the speed of sound and produces a long drawn out boom. A chemical explosive propagates much faster and produces a sharper boom.

[terryp]

Crazy I was at the Centara last week on my visa run, went to Sizzler everyday...

This is terrible absolutely terrible for Hat Yai, I hope no serious injury's

[dabhand]

Visited Hat Yai and stayed at the LGH, plus the nearby Kosit Hotel, a number of times in the mid 90's whilst working on a construction project in the north of Malaysia.

Likley to be a high proportion of Malaysian / Singaporean tourists involved. Whether caused by gas or bomb not good for the tourist industry on which Hat Yai is heavily dependent.

Just hope the news doesn't get worse.

[webfact]

RT @veen_NT: Update from Hat Yai: 4 found dead on the 4th floor of a hotel and many still trapped on the upper floors. via @itthipat_rw

[zazzalicious]

Gas explosion in McDonalds... which at the bottom of Lee Garden Plaza, 5 floors of shops and a Hotel.

I'm in a Hotel about 2-300 metres away, just took a video...

Just watched people trying to climb out of the upper floor windows on TV:(

[webfact]

Bomb blasts hit Hatyai hotel, central Yala

SONGKHLA: -- More than 50 people were injured on Saturday after a bomb exploded at the Lee Garden Plaza Hotel in Hat Yai district, Thai News agency reported.

About 200 guests and hotel staff were trapped on the fourth floor, state media reported citing officials as saying.

The explosion took place at about 1pm (local time) at the underground floor of the 33-storey hotel situated in the heart of Hat Yai district, known as shopping paradise for tourists.

Officials added that fire erupted following the explosion and rescue workers were rushing to the scene to rescue the trapped people. BERNAMA

Simultaneously, bombs in Yala province have killed five people and wounded more than 50.

Yala Governor Dethrat Simsiri said three explosions took place at midday Saturday within a 100m radius over a period of 10 minutes in the commercial district of Yala municipality.

He said the first two bombs were hidden in motorcycles, while the third was in a car.

Such bombings are a common tactic of Islamist separatists who have been waging an insurgency in Thailand three southernmost provinces since early 2004. The conflict has taken more than 5,000 lives.

Source: http://thestar.com.m...2823&sec=nation

-- thestar.com.my 2012-03-31

[GentlemanJim]

The news is saying this is a Gas explosion in McDonalds. We were going there today to Central to get the little girl some clothes, I cried off , too busy with work, lets do it next week! Bloody hell! very bad pictures on TV

[marinediscoking]

I don't think Mcdonalds, KFC or sizzler use gas to cook with. For all my time in thailand i have never seen them take any gas delivery or have seen any gas tanks in any of them.

[webfact]

RT @RichardBarrow: 4pm Hat Yai Hospital: At this moment there are 300 people from the hotel fire. Most injuries from smoke inhalation.

[webfact]

RT @tulsathit: TR @Wiratana: @e20ive: Hat Yai mayor says Lee Garden Hotel fire was an accident, not sabotage.

[webfact]

Gas explosion in Hat Yai's Lee Garden Hotel leaves at least 200 injured mostly from smoke inhalation;unconfirmed reports of 3-4 deaths /TANN

[webfact]

Blood donations for types A and O needed in Hat Yai, Songkhla for victims of gas explosion at Lee Garden Hotel /TANN

[webfact]

RT @RichardBarrow: 4:10 Songkhla Hospital: There are 75 people from the hotel fire at this hospital. Some patients have gone home already.

[webfact]

RT @RichardBarrow: 4:12pm Chairman of Songkhla Administration told Nation Channel so far 1 dead from Hat Yai hotel fire - TR @Pat_ThaiPBS

[webfact]

RT @RichardBarrow: Lee Garden in Hat Yai is a popular place to hangout for highschool students. Similar to Future Park Rangsit - TR @NochPH

RT @Aim_NT: A man found burnt dead at Lee Gardens Hotel underground. TR @nnanews

[webfact]

At least two killed in Hat Yai hotel fire

HAT YAI: -- Rescuers retrieved two bodies from the fourth floor of the Lee Garden Hotel in Hat Yai after a big fire engulfed the hotel Saturday afternoon.

Officials said the victims suffocated.

-- The Nation 2012-03-31

[jackr]

I don't think Mcdonalds, KFC or sizzler use gas to cook with. For all my time in thailand i have never seen them take any gas delivery or have seen any gas tanks in any of them.

Well you wouldn't as there'd be a huge tank downstairs as opposed to dude delivering on motorbike. In any case, hotel would have gas storage.

A bit of a coincidence with the activity in Yala (bomb next to gas tank?), and nerve-racking when you have family there.

[webfact]

RT @tulsathit: Police spokesman says Hat Yai fire was caused by transformer/gas accident, not sabotage. via @gunnerthai

[webfact]

RT @RichardBarrow: To be clear, the bombings in Yala & Pattanai Provinces are NOT related to hotel fire in Hat Yai in Songkhla Province.

[webfact]

RT @tulsathit: RT @Ryn_writes: This man escaped from B2/fl of Lee Garden where gas explosion took place. http://yfrog.com/ocydqhlj via@MrVop

[khunming]

Despite almost instant proclamations from government officials, it seems much too early to determine whether this was terrorist-related. The timing with bombings in Yala is certainly suspicious.