Thai police to continue hunt for Bangkok shrine bomber who killed 20

Thai police will continue their hunt for a bomber who left at least 20 people dead, including a British national, in an attack on a shrine in central Bangkok.

The blast at the Erawan shrine, which happened at around 7pm local time on Monday near a busy intersection, also left more than 100 injured.

Authorities have said they are looking for a man seen in CCTV footage wearing a yellow T-shirt and carrying a backpack.

No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the atrocity, which bears none of the hallmarks of the Muslim separatists who have been fighting a long insurgency in the south of the country and who have not tended to target the capital.

Travel advice issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office cautions people to "monitor news reports, follow the advice of local authorities and take extra care".

David Cameron said he was "deeply saddened" after the Foreign Office confirmed the death of a British national from Hong Kong in the bombing.

London law student Vivian Chan, 19, was among those killed, although the Foreign Office said it could not confirm whether she was the British national who had died.

Professor Peter Crisp, Dean of the Law School at BPP University in London, said that colleagues and students had been "devastated to hear of the loss of one of our students".

The Thai Society at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London said: "We ... are deeply saddened to hear the news of Miss Chan 'Vivian' Wing-Yan, a Law Student at SOAS, who passed away yesterday after a bomb blast in central Bangkok.

"We understand that Miss Chan, and her friend, were travelling in Thailand."

Friends said Ms Chan was a fan of Hong Kong "Cantopop" music and one of her favourite singers, Joey Yung, posted a tribute on her Facebook page.

Below a picture of the pair together, the pop star wrote: "You have left a deep impression in me. Your wit, loveliness and your smile with dimples on the cheek.

"Thank you for being in my life. Our last conversation you said you would study hard and then we meet again. Never thought life could be that fickle ... I hope you rest in peace."

Five of the victims have so far been identified as Thais, four as Chinese - including two from Hong Kong - two from Malaysia, one from Indonesia, one from Singapore and one from the Philippines.