Thais have turned to social media to mourn as 4.7 million individuals despatched posts underneath a commemorative hashtag on Friday.
![Bouquets of flowers and children's drinks are placed outside a nursery in Thailand on October 7 2022, the day after a mass killing by a former police officer in northeastern Nong Bua Lamphu province [AFP/Manan Vatsyayana]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/000_32KW6BT.jpg?resize=770%2C513)
Grief and anger have engulfed Thailand a day after the mass killing of kids and adults at a preschool daycare centre by a former Thai police officer who went on a rampage of stabbing and capturing earlier than he shot his spouse, little one, and himself.
The nation reeled as particulars of Thursday’s grisly assault in a small city in one of many nation’s poorest areas emerged, and because the demise toll mounted to finally attain 37 useless with at the very least 24 kids among the many slain.
What unfolded on the daycare centre within the northeastern province of Nong Bua Lamphu has been described because the worst mass killing by a single attacker in Thailand’s current historical past.
"He shot on the door whereas the youngsters had been sleeping."
Eyewitnesses have been describing a knife and gun assault at a childcare centre in northeast Thailand, the place authorities say at the very least 37 individuals had been killed ⤵️
🔗: https://t.co/FkH1fcYQF1pic.twitter.com/WAWqruWqb3
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 7, 2022
Thailand’s royal family and authorities representatives in white army uniforms laid wreaths at ceremonial tables in entrance of the daycare centre’s most important door on Friday morning, as a light Thai flag flew at half-staff above.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha visited the location on Friday. Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida had been anticipated to go to hospitals, the place seven of the ten individuals who had been wounded stay.
A vigil was deliberate in a central Bangkok park.
The mom of Supaporn Pramongmuk, a 25-year-old trainer on the centre who was eight months pregnant and killed alongside along with her younger college students, mentioned she had cried till her tears ran dry.
“Tears are falling inside my coronary heart,” Pranee Srisutham instructed Al Jazeera on Thursday night time at an emergency centre arrange close to the preschool.
“I can’t cry, I can’t communicate,” she mentioned.
‘Tiny angels’
Individuals turned to social media to mourn. Greater than 4.7 million individuals had despatched posts by Friday afternoon underneath a Thai hashtag that translated as #MassShootingNongBuaLamphu.
“Humanity, not tiny angels, died,” wrote one Twitter consumer, recognized as @psmyheart.
Another messages included, “RIP Kids of Heaven” and “I hope you're reborn as angels in heaven”.
On the Fb web page of the Mutahi Sawant Youngster Growth Centre, the place the assault occurred, a whole bunch of individuals posted condolences underneath the centre’s final publish earlier than the bloodbath – that closing publish was an account of a go to the youngsters had made to a Buddhist temple in September.
“It’s so heart-breaking. They had been small youngsters, they didn't deserve this. A few of them had been nonetheless of their afternoon naps,” mentioned 29-year-old Bangkok resident Chamita Itthiponwitoon.
Police recognized the attacker as Panya Kamrap, 34, a former police sergeant who was fired earlier this yr due to a drug cost involving methamphetamine.
He had been as a consequence of seem in court docket on Friday. An worker instructed a Thai TV station that Panya’s son had attended the daycare centre however had not been there for a few month.
After attacking the youngsters and workers on the centre, Panya drove dwelling and shot his spouse and son earlier than turning the gun on himself, police mentioned.
Youngster victims
A lot of the little one victims had been aged between two and 5 years of age, many had been killed with a machete-like blade farmers use to chop sugarcane, police mentioned.
Amid the grief, questions are being raised about weapons, medicine, psychological well being and the accountability of the safety forces in Thailand.
The assault comes two years after a mass capturing by an ex-soldier at a shopping center and armed forces base in Nakhon Ratchasima province, generally referred to as Korat, during which 29 individuals had been killed.
“The mass shootings in Korat and Nong Bua Lamphu mirror some issues within the military and police, together with psychological well being and issues with command,” opposition politician Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn mentioned in a publish on Twitter shared 125,000 instances.
“If the issues aren't solved, it might imply that the lives of persons are in danger from the individuals who have these weapons of their fingers.”
Twitter consumer @jaoohja touched a nerve with a publish shared greater than 14,500 instances that included a photograph of some graffiti with the message: “Who do you name when the police homicide?”
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