Indian tourist among 2 people killed in shootout in Thailand
Bangkok, Oct 8 : A 42-year-old Indian was among two foreign tourists killed and five others, including two Indians, seriously injured in a shootout between two rival gangs here, Thai Police said Monday.
The shooting took place last night on a street behind Centara Watergate Pavillion hotel in Ratchathewi district, where tourist coaches were parked, 'Bangkok Post' reported.
Gakhrejr Dheeraj, an Indian, and Keovongsa Thonekeo, 28, a Lao tourist, died at a hospital where other injured are undergoing treatment.
The five people injured in the crossfire were two Thais, two Indians and one Lao. All were taken to a nearby hospital, the report said, quoting police officials.
The Indians were part of a group of tourists who had just had their dinner at an Indian restaurant in the mall and were waiting for their bus at the parking lot.
While they were there, two groups of young men emerged from a nearby snooker club into an alley just beside the parking lot, said police Major General Senit Samararn Samruajkit.
They began a fight that quickly escalated into an armed battle, Samruajkit said.
According to eyewitnesses, around 20 men armed with pistols, knives and sticks ran from the club into the street, he said, adding that three men also opened fire.
The gang members fled as the police arrived at the scene, and none of them was apprehended. Police have yet to identify the type of rifles used, but spent shells from the AK47 assault rifle were found at the scene.
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Holiday turns to heartbreak: 7 years after husband's death, Thane woman loses 3 kids in road crash
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Thane (PTI): "Mom, we will be back in two or three days," were the final words three siblings uttered to their mother before leaving their residence in Diva town of Thane district for a short holiday at a relative's place.
Hours later, those words returned to haunt a devastated mother as the news of their deaths in a horrific road accident on Monday morning shattered her world forever.
The siblings, Sneha Mohape (22), Manasi (20), and their brother Prathamesh (17), were among the 11 people who were killed in a head-on collision between a van packed with passengers and a cement mixer truck on a newly constructed bridge over the Ulhas River near Raite village under Kalyan taluka.
The tragedy has wiped out the entire support system of Anjana Mohape, a single mother who had been raising her children with grit and determination since her husband's death seven years ago.
Working as a domestic help, Anjana had ensured her children pursued their education, hoping they would soon stand on their own feet and lift the family out of financial hardship.
"She lived for them. After losing her husband, these three were her only reason to keep going," said Nathu Mohape, a family member.
"They were bright children with dreams of helping their mother. Now, everything is gone in an instant," said the distraught family member.
The siblings were headed to their uncle's house in Panhe village under Murbad taluka of the district to spend their college holiday.
The accident was so severe that the van was reduced to a heap of metal, leaving no room for survival for the Mohape trio.
The last rites of the three siblings will be performed in their native village, family sources said.
While local residents rushed to the spot to initiate a rescue operation, the impact had already claimed the lives of nearly a dozen passengers.
The crash has sparked fresh outrage among locals regarding heavy vehicles on the Kalyan-Ahilyanagar National Highway.
Residents alleged that lorries, mixer and dumper trucks engaged in construction work frequently violate speed limits and safety norms on the highway.
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