Buildings across Bangkok have been set ablaze by red shirt protesters after the Thai military stormed a protest camp in the centre of the city.
Six key leaders of the red shirt movement surrendered to police after Thai soldiers breached barricades surrounding the camp early on Wednesday.
But rather than surrender, some of their followers set several buildings in the Thai capital on fire, destroying a major department store and trapping employees of the Channel Three television station in their burning office building.
Authorities said 100 people were trapped inside the television building.
A spokesman for the Bangkok fire department said that a fire engine attempting to put out the blaze was attacked by protesters and forced to retreat.
Fire was also reported at the Bangkok stock exchange, while the Central World Department store, the second largest department store in Southeast Asia, has been destroyed in a blaze.
The city was engulfed in thick black smoke on Wednesday afternoon as emergency services attempted to bring the fires under control.
aljazeera
Opposition (red shirts) supporter Maj. General Khattiya Sawasdiphol killed by an army sniper
Six key leaders of the red shirt movement surrendered to police after Thai soldiers breached barricades surrounding the camp early on Wednesday.
But rather than surrender, some of their followers set several buildings in the Thai capital on fire, destroying a major department store and trapping employees of the Channel Three television station in their burning office building.
Authorities said 100 people were trapped inside the television building.
A spokesman for the Bangkok fire department said that a fire engine attempting to put out the blaze was attacked by protesters and forced to retreat.
Fire was also reported at the Bangkok stock exchange, while the Central World Department store, the second largest department store in Southeast Asia, has been destroyed in a blaze.
The city was engulfed in thick black smoke on Wednesday afternoon as emergency services attempted to bring the fires under control.
aljazeera
Opposition (red shirts) supporter Maj. General Khattiya Sawasdiphol killed by an army sniper
mala keliyai
