Philip Blenkinsop, a freelance photographer for Time Magazine, was taking photographs of a victim who was shot and burnt beyond recognition in Lamai distirct when a bomb exploded near him.

While police said Blenkinsop suffered several sharpnel wounds to his body a hospital staff said he suffred minor injuries to his face. Police said his guide, Roya Bango, suffered slight injury to the back.

Three policemen, whom the photographer followed to cover the event, were also injured.

Police said the bomb was buried near the charred body and his burnt motorcycle.

Police said the bomb was assembled in a fire extinguisher tank and weighed about 10 kilogrammes. It was detonated by battery.

Chanai Thomthong, a reporter of Channel 5, said he saw the Australian photographer cover his face while running out of the explosion scene.

Chanai said he also ran out and saw several other reporters lying down on the ground.

Blenkinsop has been based in Bangkok since the mid-1980s. He is an award-winning photographer who has covered a number of conflicts, including the guerrilla war in Indonesia's Aceh province.

The Nation