Bangkok, Aug 21 (IANS): A Thai television station has apologised for re-enacting the deadly bombing of a shrine here with a staff member dressed as the main suspect.

On Thursday evening, a Nation TV programme had a person dressed like the suspect walking into the Erawan shrine. Police had to get him out while people yelled at the man, the Bangkok Post reported.

The re-enactment sparked outrage among Thais at the shrine and online.

Nation TV’s evening news editor Boonlert Suprapavanich on Thursday night issued a public notice explaining that the channel wanted to “recreate the Ratchaprasong bomb incident” with filming at the actual at the time close to the real incident.

He said while the scene was being shot, Thai nationals and foreigners paying respect at the shrine became upset with the news team, and had called it off.

Boonlert said that as the evening news editor he accepted responsibility for the mistake and apologised to the public. Nation TV issued a statement of apology.

The channel repeatedly ran the statement since Thursday night with its news presenters reading it out on programmes until Friday morning.

The blast took place on Monday evening when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off near the Brahma statue at the Erawan Shrine at the Ratchaprasong intersection in central Bangkok, killing 20 people and injuring 125 others.