The Latest on Bangkok: Police say bomber didn't act alone

BANGKOK  — The latest on the bombings in the Thai capital:

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12:20 p.m.

Thai police say the bomber who is being hunted in the Monday explosion that killed 20 people at the downtown Bangkok shrine did not act alone.

National chief of police Somyot Poompanmoung says "he didn't do it alone for sure. It's a network."

Investigators believe a man seen in security video wearing a yellow T-shirt and carrying a backpack set off the explosion. Police have released several photos of the man, with and without the backpack, and are asking the public to provide information about him.

— Nattasuda Anusonadisai, Bangkok

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11:45 a.m.

The bomb crater at the downtown Erawan shrine where the Monday evening explosion killed 20 people has been paved over with a fresh coat of white cement.

Workers cemented the crater before it reopened to the public early Wednesday.

The original metal fence surrounding the statue of Phra Phrom, the Thai representation of Hindu god Brahma, is still dented from the impact of the bomb blast. Police say the explosive device was contained in a pipe and weighed 3 kilograms (more than 6 pounds).

A white tarp is draped over the fence and the freshly cemented area is sealed off by bicycle racks to keep people away, as many have thronged to the shrine to offer prayers and condolences.

— Kiko Rosario, Bangkok

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10:30 a.m.

Residents of Bangkok are posting messages of unity and condolences alongside flowers and incense sticks at a downtown shrine where a Monday evening bomb explosion killed 20 people and wounded nearly 130 others.

One of those who prayed at the Erawan shrine Wednesday morning was office worker Nuansupha Sarunsikarin. She says: "I'm depressed for those innocent people who had to pay for something they're not involved with, and now they've got no chance to live their lives because of someone else's agenda. I feel sad for them, their families and relatives."

Messages posted on a board at the shrine included one in English: "Be strong. Be together."

The popular open-air shrine, built in 1956, houses the statue of Phra Phrom, the Thai representation of Hindu god Brahma.

— Kiko Rosario, Bangkok

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8:30 a.m.

The shrine where a bomb blast killed 20 people and wounded more than 120 on Monday night reopened in downtown Bangkok on Wednesday morning. Residents offered prayers, incense and flowers at the shrine at one of the capital's busiest intersections.