China Summons Thai Officials Over Bangkok Bombing

By Niam Seet Wei BEIJING, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday summoned key officials from the Thailand Embassy in Beijing over the deadly bombing attack in Bangkok which has claimed the lives of four Chinese nationals. "We urge the Thai authorities to make all-out efforts to rescue the wounded...and to thoroughly investigate the incident, punish those responsible and adopt measures to ensure the safety of the Chinese personnel and institutions," ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said in a statement. The Chinese Embassy in Thailand had confirmed that the bomb blast, which hit a popular Hindu shrine in Bangkok at 7pm on Monday, had killed four Chinese nationals, including two Hong Kong citizens. About 20 other Chinese tourists were injured in the blast. Hua said China strongly condemned the blast and offered condolences to the victims and the families who were affected. She said China would work closely with the Thai authorities to ensure the safety and interest of the Chinese nationals. Reports said yesterday's bombing had killed at least 20 people, including several foreigners, leaving more than 120 people injured. --BERNAMA