Dozens Killed in Attack at Preschool Center in Thailand

By Staff, Agencies

At least 31 people have lost their lives in a mass shooting at a children’s daycare center in a north-eastern province of Thailand.

Victims included both children and adults, police said in a statement, adding that the gunman was an ex-police officer and a manhunt was underway.

The prime minister has alerted all agencies to act and apprehend the culprit, a government spokesperson said.

Local media reported that the shooting took place in Na Klang district in Nong Bua Lamphu province.

The rate of gun ownership in Thailand is high compared with some other countries in the region but official figures do not include huge numbers of illegal weapons, many of which have been brought in across porous borders over the years from strife-torn neighbors.

Mass shootings are rare but in 2020, a soldier angry over a property deal killed at least 29 people and wounded 57 in a rampage that spanned four locations.