Bangkok blast ‘sounded like thunder’

Thailand is no stranger to political violence.

A decades-long insurgency in the south has claimed thousands of lives.

But the capital of Bangkok was considered relatively safe.

Not anymore.

Today, a bomb exploded inside the Erawan shrine in the city center. It's a lively spot. The Hindu shrine has a statue of the Thai version of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. The shrine's a big draw for tourists, and more than a dozen people were reported killed. It's also close to where Steve Herman works. He's a correspondent with Voice of America.

"We had heard a BOOM! I though it was thunder," he says. "But then we didn't hear any more thunder. In a few minutes, we realized that something was amiss. It did kind of sound like some of the explosions I had heard previously in Afghanistan. But we haven't had any blasts like that in Bangkok in a really, really long time."

He quickly made his way to the shrine.

"It was obvious that a bomb had gone off inside this little outdoor shrine. There were five to six bodies in there covered in white sheets. And out on the street on a major intersection, one of the busiest in Thailand, were body parts."

The police confirmed it was indeed a bomb blast, likely carried to the shrine on a motorcycle, and destroying the lives of people who were most likely on vacation. Schools have been closed for Tuesday in Bangkok for safety reasons, and the Thai capital is still in shock. 

"There's no doubt this was a deliberate act to kill and maim as many people as possible, and primarily tourists."