Two Singaporeans injured after car slams into Bangkok's Erawan Shrine

BANGKOK — A car slammed into the fence of the Erawan Shrine on Friday night (July 22), injuring at least six people in the compound of the popular attraction.

The Toyota sedan apparently lost control, hit the fence and came to a stop inside the shrine compound at the Ratchaprasong intersection in central Bangkok, Thai Rath reported.

FM 91 Traffic Police radio reported earlier that at least five people were injured, but Thai Rath said the number had risen to six. They were paying respects to the Hindu god at the shrine at the time, according to the Daily News.

Those injured were identified as Mr Jonto Kurniawan, 73, from Indonesia; Mrs Rosita Kurniawan, 56, also from Indonesia; Mrs Ong Chey Tao, 70, from Singapore; Miss Ng Icon Leng, 35, also from Singapore; Miss Leena Bong, 81, from China and Mrs Kanuengnit Techorai, 55, who was the driver of the car, the traffic radio station Jor Sor 100 reported.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday that Officers from the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok have visited the injured Singaporeans in the hospital.

It added that the Embassy will remain in close contact with them and provide them with the necessary consular assistance.

Meanwhile, Thai police on Saturday confirmed the incident was an accident.

"The driver had an acute stroke while at the wheel and lost control of herself," said acting Bangkok police chief Police Lieutenant General Sanit Mahataworn.

"Her daughter, who was with her in the car, told us her mother suddenly had a seizure and lost control of the car before it hit the shrine," he said.

"The closed-circuit camera footage showed the car was in reverse gear after the hit. But that's because the daughter was pulling the gear lever or the impact could have been much greater," the police general explained.

"This was not a terrorist or deliberate act to hurt anyone. It's an accident," he added.

He added a DNA test also showed it was the mother who was behind the wheel.

"We were praying and then suddenly we heard a big noise and we saw a car coming inside. We ran like crazy. It was very scary. At I first thought it was a car bomb but everyone was very calm around us," a 21-year-old tourist from Vietnam, who gave her name as Kristy, told AFP.

The Erawan Shrine was the site of a bombing in August last year that killed 20 people and shocked the country. Two Uighur men from western China are on trial in connection with the attack, which police say was made in retaliation against a crackdown on human trafficking networks. BANGKOK POST