Massacre of children in Thailand in a knife and gun rampage, condolences pour in

It was a sad day for Thailand when a former police sergeant, discharged over drug allegations, shot and knifed children and staff in a daycare center. The assailant targeted the children, aged between two and five. He slashed them to death, and shot the adults. It happens to be one of the world's worst death tolls of children massacred by a single killer. The killer was facing trial on a drugs charge. The tragedy happened in Uthai Sawan, a town about 310 miles northeast of Bangkok, the capital of the largely Buddhist country. After committing the massacre, he left the daycare centre, went home and shot dead his wife and son before taking his own life. Families traumatised by Thailand attack cling to slain children's toys. The national police chief Damrongsak Kittipraphat said - "The reasons are probably unemployment, no money, and family issues," he said, adding that the attacker and his wife had had "longstanding problems."

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha met the families of the victims. He lay flowers and observed a moment of silence in front of the centre. King Maha also Vajiralongkorn visited the hospital. The Vatican said Pope Francis was deeply saddened by the "horrific attack." He condemned it as an "act of unspeakable violence against innocent children." Incidentally, there have been earlier instances of death in schools in other parts of the world. In Norway in 2011, Anders Breivik killed 69 people, mostly teenagers, at a summer camp. Later, in 2012, it was the killing of 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut. In 1996, the toll as of 16 at Dunblane in Scotland and 19 at a school in Uvalde, Texas, this year. As far as Thailand goes, it has strict gun laws but gun ownership is high when compared with some Southeast Asian countries. Moreover, illegal weapons are common, with many brought in from strife-torn neighbours.

Some popular stories of this blogger –

President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan wants to achieve self-sufficiency in defense

Mamata Banerjee plays the dhak to begin the Durga Puja festivities

Hurricane Ian flattens portions of the coast of Florida, wash away homes

It is festival time in Kolkata with Navratri and Durga Puja

US Vice President Kamala Harris on a visit to South Korea and will visit the Demilitarized Zone DMZ also

Life of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after the era of Queen Elizabeth II

Shoppers enjoy last minute Puja shopping in Gariahat, New Market and Hatibagan

Typhoon Noru strikes Vietnam, hundreds evacuated from popular beach resort city of Da Nang

Hurricane Ian struck the western tip of the island, left millions of Cubans without power and is headed towards Florida

More than 200 drug addicts breakout of rehabilitation centre in Vietnam

More than 200 drug addicts overpowered the security staff and are believed to be on the run after a mass escape from a rehabilitation center in Vietnam. The inmates overpowered the security and forced them to open the main gate to let them out.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 24 October 2016.

There were two inmates who initiated the breakout and as many as 562 (including 58 women), escaped from the centre in Dong Nai province, in the south east region of the country. Police managed to recapture 332, but 230 are still missing from the compound. The centre accommodates 1,481 inmates.
As per estimates, there are 200,000 drug addicts in Vietnam and, many of them heroin users. The Vietnamese government enforces compulsory treatment for these drug addicts. These programs involve education, communist ideology and physical labor for up to two years.
However, the conditions in the rehab centres have been condemned by the US-based Human Rights Watch group. In their opinion, these should be closed because the treatment centres are like "forced labour camps" where inmates do not receive proper health care and are often subjected to physical violence.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Pine needles to produce electricity in Uttarakhand

Lost £250 wedding ring retrieved after the eight million gallon lake was drained

Jakarta to pay $1.5 for every rat caught to contain rat menace


Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Lord Shiva’s Durga puja is about selfish people and selfies (satire)


Carey Mulligan leaves teddy bears outside gates of 10 Downing Street to protest attacks on Aleppo

Battle to liberate Mosul rages and ISIS fighters flee the city dressed as women

Group clashes in prisons in Brazil kill at least 18 inmates


The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer released

Trailer of xXx: Return of Xander Cage starring Deepika Padukone launched in four Indian languages

Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Yoga to release on 28th January 2017