At least 38 people, including 24 children, have been killed by a former policeman in a mass shooting at a children's nursery in northern Thailand.
The 34-year-old gunman, who was dismissed from duties for illicit drug use, then killed himself, his wife and his child while a large-scale manhunt was underway in Nong Bua Lamphu, some 333 miles north-north-east of Bangkok.
Panya Khamrab's motives were unclear but the fatalities included 24 children, as young as two years old, among 38 killed overall with 18 injured, a local police official said on Thursday.
"At first people thought it was fireworks," district official Jidapa Boonsom said.
"It's really shocking. We were very scared and running to hide once we knew it was shooting. So many children got killed, I've never seen anything like it," she continued.
The attacker was agitated when he arrived at the nursery to find his child was not there and left, Paisan Luesomboon, a police spokesperson, told Thai PBS television.
The man first shot four or five staff, including a teacher who was eight months pregnant, Ms Boonsom said.
One teacher who was shot posted a picture of a birthday party for his beloved son just one day before the tragedy.
After attacking the child-care centre, the gunman also shot at people as he drove away, according to PPTV, a local TV station. While witnesses say the gunman was also seen wielding a knife.
Photographs appeared to show white sheets covering the bodies of children surrounded by pools of blood.
The shooting occurred during the afternoon and the gunman forced his way into a locked room where children were sleeping, Ms Boonsom said, to kill children there with a knife.
Mr Khamrab then escaped in a white Vigo pickup truck with a Bangkok registration and as he fled the scene the front bumper fell off the car, Thai Tiger reports.
At around 15:00 local time (9 am GMT) the perpetrator then shot himself, his wife and his child following his rampage at the day care centre.
Reports say that the alleged murderer was sacked from his position in the police force last year for failing a drugs test.
Two local hospitals, Nong Bua Lamphu and Na Klang, have said they urgently require blood to care for victims of the attack.
Those who are able to donate blood immediately should go to either hospital as soon as possible.
Mr Juti Krairiksh, Minister of Social Development and Human Security, has ordered officials from the local area to provide urgent aftercare to all shooting victims and their family members.
The police spokesman then urged people to stop sharing pictures and clips of the victims of the shooting.
Police Major General Achayon Kraithong, a spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, said the incident was a loss that no one wanted to happen.
He continued: "First of all, I would like to express my condolences to all the bereaved families. including the injured and warn users of social networks to please refrain from sharing images and video clips."
General Anupong Paochinda ordered the closure of all child development centres in the area.
Mass shootings are rare in Thailand despite the rate of gun ownership being much higher compared with some neighbouring countries.
In 2020, a soldier was enraged over a property deal gone sour and so murdered at least 29 people and wounded 57 in a rampage that spanned four locations.
