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The first bomb also seemed intended to distract authorities ahead of the second much bigger blast.
The attack took place at the store in Muang district at a time when the store was crowded with parents and children looking for school items including uniforms in preparation for the new semester. Among the dozens of people wounded by the bombs were store staff, at least one of whom was seriously injured, as well as many children.
Regional security spokesman Pramote Prom-in said the bombers were intent on mass killing. He said, "The bombers parked the pickup in front of the entrance of the store, clearly showing their intention of mass killing. However, the suspicious vehicle was spotted and people were evacuated from the area in time before the second explosion."
Initial reports from rescue workers said no one had been killed while 30 people, including store staff, were wounded. The number injured was later put at 50.
The first blast was caused by a large firecracker that diverted attention, allowing the bombers to move the pickup to the store entrance. He said the second bomb was hidden in a bag in the pickup.
Facebook user Montakanti Kasemsuk, who captured the second blast on Facebook Live, said she was about to leave the store when the first bomb exploded. She then stayed in the parking lot and began recording the incident. Her video initially showed people outside of the store in the Big C parking lot after the first blast. When the second bomb went off near her, her video clip captured a ball of fire before the video became shaky as she ran from the scene.