All trains from Sungai Kolok suspended after two railway bombs

NARATHIWAT, THAILAND, May 14 (TNA) - All trains from and to Sungai Kolok Railway Station in Narathiwat Province in the Thai far South have been suspended, at least for a couple of days, after two bombs struck railway bridges on early Wednesday morning, but there were no reports of casualties. Alawi Uma, chief of Sungai Kolok Railway Station, told reporters that the explosives went off on the two railway bridges, one located in Baan Bukeh of Joh Ai Rong District and the other in Baan Hulupareh of Ra Ngae District, at around 4am, halting all train services from and to the Sungai Kolok Railway Station. Alawi said local security officers were inspecting the damaged rail routes, before handing a field survey and repair works to officials of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) so that the affected rail routes will be opened for normal services as soon as possible, while an official investigation into the incidents has been continuing. The chief of the Sungai Kolok Railway Station acknowledged that thousands of commuters in the Thai far South rely on train services, expressing his concerns that repairs to the bomb-damaged railways may not be completed in time for the opening of the new school semester on May 16. According to the chief of the Sungai Kolok Railway Station, passengers can, instead, board all far southern trains at Tanyongmas Railway Station in Narathiwat's Ra Ngae District for the time being. Meanwhile, security measures have been tightened in 13 districts of Narathiwat, as part of local schools were re-opened for the new semester on May 14. (TNA)