At least four people were killed in a shooting in southern Thailand, police said. (Representative)
Bangkok:
At least four people were killed in a shooting in southern Thailand on Saturday, police said, with local media reporting that authorities were still searching for the suspect.
The attack began at around 5 pm (1100 GMT), in Kheri Rat Nikhom district of Surat Thani province – about 600 km (370 miles) south of the capital, Bangkok.
“Four people died,” local police chief Kriangkrai Krykaw told AFP.
Local media reported that the shooting took place near the home of a former village chief.
Thailand has high rates of gun possession and there has been a steady stream of violent incidents over the past 12 months, including one of the deadliest attacks in recent history.
The state was shocked after a former police sergeant killed 36 people, 24 of whom were children, in northeastern Nong Bua Lam Phu province in October.
And last month, three people were killed and another three wounded in a shootout in Phetchaburi province that ended only after a 15-hour standoff.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)