life back to normal after Bangkok explosion

As the traffic at an intersection near a blasted shrine in downtown Bangkok opened Tuesday, life got normalized one day after a deadly explosion hit the city.

The street at Erawan Shrine at Ratchaprasong intersection, once scattered with shards of glass, bloodstains of the victims and burnt motorbikes after the blast, has been cleaned off. Workers were removing broken windows from the billboards.

The police and military were coordinating for security work. The street was open for traffic again.

A day earlier, a loud blast rocked the shrine, a popular tourist destination in downtown Bangkok, at about 7 p.m. local time (1200 GMT), killing 22 people and injuring more than 120 others, according to the Thai authorities.

Six Chinese nationals, including two from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, had been confirmed dead in the explosion, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand said Tuesday.

Another 22 Chinese, including 17 from the Chinese mainland, two from Hong Kong and three from China's Taiwan, were receiving treatment in hospitals. One Chinese remained missing in the blast, according to the embassy.

The paths outside Police General Hospital, where victims have been sent Monday night, was still stained with the blood of victims.

Five or Six volunteers, learning about the blast from news broadcast, were gathering at the hall of Police General Hospital to provide interpretation services for Chinese victims.

"We've organized 50 Chinese-fluent volunteers and sent them to five hospitals," said Luo Yunfang, vice director of the Thailand-China Tourism Association.

There is no shorthand of Chinese interpreters, she added.

The inner part of the shrine will also be cleaned and repaired, which is expected to reopen as early as Wednesday, said Suppanee, a member of the charity committee of Erawan Shrine, adding that the security will be intensified.

About 4,000 to 5,000 tourists visit the shrine daily, most of whom are Asian tourists. Tourists from China, Indonesia and Singapore take up the majority of them. That explains why dozens of Chinese tourists were killed or injured during the blast, Suppanee said.

The attack has shocked Thailand and the rest of the world. Following the explosion, an outpouring of grief has been voiced around the world.

"The victims are innocent," said a 24-year-old Sathorn.

"Now the economy in Thailand is bad. The bomb attack will make it worse. My business will be affected," said a 54-year-old Watchara.

"You know, in our country, we often had incidents of terrorist attacks and we put flowers for the victims. We want to send a message that nothing will stop the normal life. That's what the terrorists just want, but we won't let them do it", said Dubi, a tourist from Israel.

Inserted on a wall 30 meters away from the site of explosion were dozens of rose flowers. Written on the wall were words such as "Condemning the attackers!" "Condolences for the victims of the blast".

"It is hoped the innocent people will not be attacked again," said Burmese tourist guide Gaegariya

There have been no claims of responsibility for the attack so far.

China on Tuesday expressed strong condemnation of the explosion. "We convey our deep condolences to the victims and families of this tragedy, and sympathies to the wounded," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying in a statement.