A Thai solider who killed 20 people in a shooting spree remained holed up in shopping mall on Sunday morning with an unknown number of people feared trapped inside, despite repeated attempts by armed police to flush the gunman out.
Volleys of gunfire rang out before dawn, hours after Thai security services stormed the ground floor of the Terminal 21 mall in Nakhon Ratchasima - also known as Korat - where the gunman held out, armed with assault weapons stolen from his barracks.
Scores of stunned and terrified shoppers fled the shopping centre as police entered the mall, escaping a bloody rampage that the gunman relayed via Facebook posts.
But it was unclear how many people remained inside the mall after police said they had "taken control" of the ground floor of the complex late Saturday.
Shocked evacuees recounted how an ordinary Saturday shopping day at busy mall descended into a unimaginable scene of horror as the gunman entered.
"It was like a dream... I'm grateful I survived," Sottiyanee Unchalee, 48, told AFP, explaining she hid in the toilet of gym inside the mall as she heard the gunfire. "I'm so sorry for those who died... (and) the people still trapped inside."
"I've never seen anything like this," Peerapong Chatadee told AFP. "I just feel so sad. He is a solider he should not have fired at unarmed people."
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