Grieving families mourn through the night in temples after children massacred at Thailand nursery

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Relatives of the children, aged two to five, were joined by members of their devastated community in paying their respects at three Buddhist temples in the northeastern Nong Bua Lam Phu province – in the aftermath of what is one of the world’s worst recent child death tolls at the hands of a single killer. open image in gallery Members of the community take part in Buddhist prayers Kittisak Polprakan, a 29-year-old who witnessed the killing spree, described Khamrap as being calm as he emerged from Young Children's Development Centre, having slashed nearly two dozen toddlers with a large curved blade, adding: “It was so quiet. “I want to give you all moral support to be strong, so that the souls of those children can have a sense of relief that their families will remain strong and be able to move forward.” Prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said he was concerned about trauma in the community after the tragedy and “asked everyone to support each other and get through this brutal loss together,” his spokesperson said. open image in gallery Villagers pour water in front of coffins during the Buddhist washing ritual for the victims Meanwhile, Thailand’s Channel 8 broadcast what it said was the killer’s cremation – attended by only a few people – at a temple in the neighbouring province of Udon Thani, after Buddhist temples in Uthai Thani refused to host his funeral.