Police in Thailand say more than 30 people have been killed in a shooting at a childcare centre in the northwest of the country.
Police Major General Achayon Kraithong said the gunman opened fire early in the afternoon in the centre in the town of Nongbua Lamphu.
He said 30 people were killed but had no more details.
Following the shooting the assailant took his own life.
A spokesperson for a regional public affairs office said 26 deaths have been confirmed so far — 23 children, two teachers and one police officer.
According to Thai media reports, the gunman also used knives in the attack and then fled the building.
Photographs showed at least two bodies on the floor of the centre covered in white sheets.
Several media outlets identified the assailant as a former police officer but there was no immediate official confirmation.
The shooting took place at the Child Development Centre in Uthaisawan Na Klang district, Nong Bua Lamphu province, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.
“The prime minister has expressed his condolences on the shooting incident which resulted in 30 deaths,” the statement read.
Gun ownership in Thailand is relatively high compared with other countries in South-East Asia.
Mass shootings in the country are rare but a 2020 incident saw a soldier kill 29 people in a shooting spree that began at a military site and then sent shoppers hunting for cover after the gunman entered a mall.
