Death toll rises to 23 in clashes in Bangkok: emergency center

BANGKOK, April 14 (Xinhua) -- One more troop and one more civilian have succumbed to injuries inflicted during the clashes between "red-shirts" protesters and soldiers Saturday in Bangkok, raising the death toll to 23, Erawan Emergency Medical Centre announced Wednesday.

The Erawan emergency centre reported earlier that 276 patients who were injured in Saturday's clashes between anti-government protesters and soldiers were still in hospitals by Tuesday morning, with 17 in intensive care unit.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, in a nationally- televised TV speech Saturday night, expressed sorrow for the deaths in the clashes and promised to conduct an independent probe into the deaths. More than 800 were reported injured in the clashes.

The clashes occurred Saturday afternoon and evening as the government tried to retake the Ratchaprasong Intersection and Phan Fah Bridge, two major rally sites for the anti-government "red- shirts", who have been staging a rolling rally in Bangkok since March 12 demanding a House dissolution. The situation seemed getting out of control as the "red-shirts" protesters and security forces started to use weapons and throw grenades at the Khokwua intersection, 700m away from the Phan Fah Bridge, at about 08:10 p. m. local time.

The confrontation between "red-shirts" and the security forces Saturday evening in Bangkok ceased temporarily as the army retreated while the "red-shirts" had retreated to their rally sites.