Bomb threats spark panic in Thai town

BANGKOK, Jan 27: Bomb threats sowed panic today in a western Thai town two days after commandos killed 10 Myanmar insurgents who had taken hundreds of people hostage at the provincial hospital, reports AP.

Police said that unidentified callers had made bomb threats against a different hospital, a school and a department store in Ratchaburi, 95 km west of Bangkok, since the hostage drama ended.

Hundreds of schoolchildren, shoppers and other people scurried into the streets seeking safety as police urged calm and explosives experts searched buildings.

The Robinson Department Store and Ratchaburi Elementary School were evacuated this morning because of the threats and authorities closed 10 more schools as a precaution.

Komet Daengtongdee, the provincial governor, said the phone calls were "just a threat."

"We thoroughly searched for bombs at both the school and the Robinson Department Store," Komet said. "We are trying to check where the two calls came from and telling Ratchaburi inhabitants not to panic through our city loudspeaker system."

Police cleared the department store. At the elementary school, children left for home and police officers were stationed outside to keep an eye on strangers.

The caller to the department store had a female voice, said Police Lt. Col. Kititvorachai Piriyajitta, and appeared to want to stir panic. The evacuations were a precaution.

Hundreds of police officers, some in plainclothes, were scattering around the town to guard important government buildings where officials were still working, police said.

Checkpoints were set up to inspect traffic for weapons.

The first bomb threats were made Wednesday, against the Ban Pong Hospital, which lies in a different district outside the town.

"We found no grounds for it after we inspected the place," Kititvorachai said. "There was no evacuation yesterday."

Schools had just reopened after a three-day closure because of the Ratchaburi provincial hospital siege, which ended Tuesday when commandos stormed the hospital, shooting and killing 10 hostage-takers.