Hand Grenade Kills 4 at Chachoengsao Temple Fair

The scene where a grenade exploded early Sunday morning at Wat Amphawan in Chachoengsao, killing five people.

CHACHOENGSAO — A man faces four counts of first-degree murder after being arrested Sunday for allegedly throwing a hand grenade at a temple fair that killed four people.

Police said Anurak Sae-ngow tossed a grenade at a table of rivals a temple fair at about 1am on Sunday which killed four people and injured five. Anurak and his gang of youths had gotten into an altercation with the other group, an officer with the Chanam Khet Police Department said. They arrested him less than 24 hours later.

“We caught him last night in Chonburi,” Lt. Col. Somchai Sarachon said Monday. “He will be charged with premeditated murder.”

Anurak Sae-ngow in a police handout photo identifying his nickname as ‘Ai Mhoo.’
Anurak Sae-ngow in a police handout photo identifying his nickname as ‘Ai Mhoo.’
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Police and bomb squad officers rushed early Sunday morning to Wat Amphawan, where people had been dancing in celebration of a Buddhist ceremony. The injured and dead were sent to a nearby hospital.

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On Sunday morning, police tracked 25-year-old Anurak to his home in the Tha Takiap district, where they found his girlfriend Thanida Meeprawat, who was a witness at the bombing. She reportedly told police that Anurak was the one who had thrown the grenade was now on the run from the police with his older brother and two other men.

By 10pm, officers located and arrested him.