Woman loses leg in bomb blast in restive S Thailand

A woman was seriously wounded in a bomb explosion at a rubber plantation in restive southern province of Narathiwat on Thursday, Bangkok Post online reported. Police said while Chaleo Rattanapong, 45, and his wife Jiraporn, 41, were tapping rubber in Rangae district of Narathiwat, the woman stepped on a bomb planted at the foot of a rubber tree. The bomb exploded, seriously injuring Jiraporn, whose left leg was almost cut off. She was rushed to Narathiwat Ratchanakarin Hospital. Her husband, who was about eight metres away, was not hurt. More than 5,000 people have been killed and over 8,400 hurt in the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, since violence erupted in January 2004, according to Deep South Watch -- an agency that monitors the conflict in the southernmost provinces.