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Thai nursery massacre families pray to free children's souls

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Rose Troup Buchanan, Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Rescue personnel carry a victim" s="" coffin="" at="" the="" hospital="" morgue="" in="" Udon="" Thani="" on="" October="" following="" a="" mass="" shooting="" nursery="" by="" former="" policemen.="" Gunman="" Panya="" Khamrab="" shot="" dead="" least="" most="" of="" them="" when="" he="" stormed="" Thailand="" deadliest="" killings.="" Manan="" AFP="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/10/09/victim-s-coffin-afp.jpg"/><figcaption>Rescue personnel carry a victim&#x27;s coffin at the hospital morgue in Udon Thani on October 6, 2022 following a mass shooting at a nursery by a former policemen. Gunman Panya Khamrab shot dead at least 37 people, most of them children, when he stormed a nursery in Thailand on October 6 in one of the kingdom&#x27;s deadliest mass killings. Manan Vatsyayana, AFP/File</figcaption></figure></div> NA KLANG, Thailand - Mourning families knelt Sunday outside a Thai nursery where their children were murdered, performing a Buddhist ceremony to put their souls at rest.Sacked police officer Panya Khamrab killed 36 people -- 24 of them children -- on Thursday in a gun and knife rampage in northeastern Nong Bua Lam Phu province, in one of the kingdom&#x27;s worst-ever mass killings.Saffron-robed monks led prayers for the dead Sunday on a second day of ritual mourning at a temple close to the nursery in Na Klang district, a quiet farming area torn apart by Thursday&#x27;s bloodshed.Earlier, families wept as they knelt outside the nursery in a ceremony to help release their children&#x27;s souls. Some clutched their children&#x27;s portraits, beloved toys and favourite food, which they placed outside the compound as offerings.Around a low fence surrounding the single-storey, pink-roofed nursery where just a few days ago youngsters played happily, piles of flowers built up.The sweet aroma of incense scented the air as the assembled crowd, including many well-wishers from the close-knit local community, bowed their heads in prayer, a low crackle of thunder echoing in the distance.Officials solemnly carried children&#x27;s treasured possessions out of the nursery to return to families -- favourite blankets and much-loved toys, each carefully placed in name-tagged bags. &quot;When I see the tears of the families, I just feel very sad... I can&#x27;t describe it. I feel really bad (about) what&#x27;s happened in my hometown,&quot; Rutt, 57, told AFP after joining her fellow villagers in supporting the bereaved.The carnage began when the attacker forced his way in during the children&#x27;s nap time at about 12:30 pm (0530 GMT) on Thursday, opening fire with his own legally owned 9mm pistol and slashing with a knife.Afterwards, the 34-year-old went home to murder his wife and son before taking his own life, police said, ending the rampage at about 3:00 pm.Most of the victims died from knife injuries or gunfire, and relatives told AFP of the horrific wounds inflicted on their little ones.<div>- King&#x27;s support -</div>Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who was due to join prayers Sunday evening, has ordered a swift investigation and police have said they expect to interview about 180 witnesses in the coming days.Panya was sacked as a police sergeant earlier this year for drug abuse and locals say they suspected he was a methamphetamine addict, although preliminary tests found no drugs in his system.King Maha Vajiralongkorn met survivors and relatives at a hospital late on Friday in a rare public interaction for the monarch, who is officially regarded as semi-divine.The king said he &quot;shared the grief&quot; of the families and pledged to support them. The attack stunned Thailand and caused horror around the world. On Saturday, the Thai community in Melbourne, Australia, held a candlelit vigil to mourn the victims.

Mourning families knelt Sunday outside a Thai nursery where their children were murdered, performing a Buddhist ceremony to put their souls at rest.

Thai nursery massacre families pray to free children's souls

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Thai nursery massacre families pray to free children's souls

Rose Troup Buchanan,

Agence France-Presse

Published October 09, 2022 08:31 PM PHT

Read More:

Thailand

Thai nursery shooting

mass shooting

Nong Bua Lam Phu province

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