Powerful explosive' destroy man's leg

Vachira Hospital director Dr Chaiwan Charoenchokthavee said some protesters' wounds were not likely to be the result of police use of tear gas against members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

"Judging from wounds of the victims we saw in the operation room, we believe the wounds were not caused by tear gas,"  Chaiwan said.

Tear gas canisters unlikely cause of maiming

Doctors said the wounds were caused by powerful explosives, which could destroy tissue and bones.

Police under fire over use of tear gas

Some 61 PAD protesters were treated at the hospital yesterday: 34 men and 27 women. Most had wounds on their bodies.

Nearly a third - 17 - had to undergo surgery for severe wounds. They included Bancha Boonkaew, a 50yearold man who lost a leg.

Chaiwan said Bancha's left leg was destroyed by a powerful explosive - not tear gas - and the medical team had had to remove it.

"We could not save his left leg," he said. "We are trying to treat complications, which could cause severe strain on his heart," he said.

A 47yearold woman said she was near to Bancha and a minute after police fired tear gas into the crowd of protesters, she saw Bancha's leg bloody and destroyed by an explosive. Chap Polpakdee, 80, from Chumphon, said his thumb was injured by cement sent flying by the explosion.

Ubonwan Boonyoprapas, 47, said she saw 100 teargas canisters thrown into the crowd of protesters, when her right leg was hurt.

"Why did they [police] use tear gas to dis¬perse us? We did not have any weapons to fight them. We had only handclapping devices," she said.

Ubonwan travelled from Chanthaburi province to join the antigovernment protest on Monday morning.

Somchai SaengArunsilp, 43, from Bangkok, said he was shot in the right shoulder by a rubber bullet. Some of his shoulder tissue was destroyed.

"The situation should not be like this. I did not think police would use violence to disperse us.

"The government should take responsibility for this," he said.

There had been no sign from the police that they would use tear gas to disperse demonstrators and no negotiations with the protesters, he said.

Chaiwan said Her Majesty the Queen had expressed worry about the police's use of tear gas to disperse antigovernment protester. She has donated Bt100,000 to Vachira Hospital and took all the injured under royal patronage.Bangkok Metropolitan Administrative (BMA) permanent secretary Pongsak Semsan said he had urged all hospitals in Bangkok to be alert for victims of violence and provide immediate emergency care. In response to the Queen's appeal, he said BMA would take responsibility for the cost of victims' medical treatment.

Meanwhile, Public Health Ministry records showed some 108 people were injured, with 21 treated at seven hospitals. Nine people were admitted at Vachira Hospital, two at the BMA hospital, two at Chulalongkorn Hospital and eight at Ramathibodhi.

Permanent secretary for Health Dr Prat Boonyawongvirot said he had ordered 26 emergency medical teams to be prepared to treat patients.