Thai King, PM to visit survivors as the nation mourns nursery massacre victims
Thai nursery massacre
Thailand is mourning the death of 37people, including 23children, who were killed by an ex-policeman at a daycare centre in a knife and gun rampage on Thursday. Government buildings flew flags at half mast on Friday to remember the victims of the incident that left the nation shocked and seeking answers.
The police identified the attacker as Panya Khamrapm, a former member of the force who was dismissed over drug allegations and was also facing trial for a drug charge. After committing the heinous crime, he went home and shot his wife and child dead before killing himself.
Also Read |Thailand: Nursery shooting death toll rises to 37, PM orders 'urgent' probe
The Thai king will visit the survivorson Friday.King Maha Vajiralongkorn will meet families reeling from the tragedy in northeastern Nong Bua Lam Phu province, as will Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, a government spokesman said.
Most of the children who died at the Uthai Sawan nursery were stabbed to death, police said. It is one of the worst child death tolls in a massacre by a single killer in recent history. The age range of children at the daycare centre ranged from two to five years, a local official said.
"It's a scene that nobody wants to see. From the first step when I went in, it felt harrowing," Piyalak Kingkaew, an emergency worker heading the first responder team, told Reuters.
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"We’ve been through it before, but this incident is most harrowing because they are little kids."
The attacker had appeared in the court earlier in the day and then went to pick up his child from the centre, police spokesperson Paisal Luesomboon told broadcaster ThaiPBS. However, when he could not find his kid there, he went berserk and "started shooting, slashing, killing children", Paisal said.
"I don't know (why he did this), but he was under a lot of pressure," Panya's mother told Nation TV, pointing to the debts he was under, besides his drug problem.
A woman told ThaiPBS, "He was heading towards me and I begged him for mercy, I didn’t know what to do."
"He didn’t say anything, he shot at the door while the kids were sleeping," another woman said.
Gun laws are strict in Thailand, but ownership is high compared with some other countries in Southeast Asia.
(With inputs from agencies)
