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At least 30 people were killed and 58 injured in Thailand after a soldier launched a shooting rampage on Saturday (Feb. 8).

Live-streamed the shooting on Facebook

The Thai soldier, 32-year-old Jakraphanth Thomma, committed the shooting in Terminal 21 shopping mall located at the Thai northeastern city, Nakhon Ratchasima (also known as Korat).

He had also live-streamed the shooting on his Facebook page, saying, “Death is inevitable for everyone”.

Jakraphanth was eventually shot dead at the basement of the mall after a 17-hour standoff with Thai security forces.

Thai police revealed that one of the casualties included a 13-year old boy.

And among the survivors was a Singaporean man and his 11-year-old son, who lives in Korat.

Singaporean man and son trapped in basement of the mall

According to The Straits Times, the father and son were at the Foodland supermarket at the basement level of the mall when the shooting began.

Tay Yong Hwee and his son desperately searched for a place to hide and eventually found what looked like a storage room.

There was also another family in the room. They had a toddler aged about two to three years old.

ST reported that in total, 10 people hid in there.

They turned off all the lights and doors. They also tried their best to remain as quiet as possible.

Tay was close enough to hear Jakraphanth shout out instructions to his hostages.

Moved to another hiding place

After a while, Tay sensed that something was wrong and decided that he should leave the room.

A Thai man named Tick echoed Tay's feelings and asked everyone to move to the electricity control room deeper inside.

Tay told ST:

"God told me to leave the room. It was not safe... I asked the father (of the family): 'Do you want to go with us?' He replied with worry on his face: 'No, my wife and I will stay here.' That was our last conversation."

While in the second hiding place with five others, Tay said that he heard the toddler of the family scream, followed by loud gunshots.

"There were lots of gunshots aimed at that door. I heard the killer kick the door to enter the room. His footsteps were just two metres away from us... 'Come here!' the killer said.

The child cried and screamed but seemed to be taken far away. This was then followed by more gunshots. I smelled gunpowder. I used to smell it when I was a soldier in the Singapore army."

Tay held his son tight as the tragedy unfolded.

His son was actually ill.

Tay was afraid that he would cough and attract Jakraphanth's attention.

But luckily, they managed to remain quiet and Jakraphanth never found them.

"I am so sorry for the family," said Tay.

Eventually escaped

The Thai man, Tick, was able to contact people outside the mall to get some help.

"He (Tick) said to us men, 'if time comes we have to fight, I would start it, then you should tie him up, slow him down and let the women and children flee. I knew then that if we were to die, we would die fighting. At least my son should survive."

At 3am on Sunday (Feb. 9), nine hours after Jakraphanth began his shooting rampage, Tay and his son were evacuated by Thai security forces.

He was then reunited with his Thai wife and elder son.

Hours later, Jakraphanth was shot dead on the same floor where Tay was hiding.

Top images from ISCResearch/Twitter & TomzezaZa/Twitter.