CNN International issued a statement today (Sunday), expressing deep regret for any distress or offence its report on the mass shooting in Nong Bua Lam Phu on Thursday has caused and for any inconvenience they may have caused to the police at such a distressing time for Thailand.

The statement, issued by Mike McCarthy, executive vice president and general manager of CNN International, said that the CNN news team sought permission from health officials present to enter the child care centre.

Had the team understood that the health officials were not authorised to grant such permission, they would not have entered. “It was never our intention to contravene any rules,” according to the statement.

The statement explained that the CNN team entered the compound of the child care centre through the open gate, while other reporters were already present, and that the compound was not cordoned off with police tape, which was later put up, forcing them to climb over the gate after they spent about 15 minutes inside.

“Our team entered the building in good faith to gain a fuller impression of what transpired and to humanise the scale of the tragedy for the audience,” said the statement, adding that CNN had ceased broadcasting the report and has removed the offending video from its website.