WATCH people fleeing Thai shopping mall in panic as shooter takes hostages, kills 30

The death toll has risen to at least 30 after a soldier went on a shooting rampage and took hostages inside a shopping mall in Thailand, health authorities said. Police said 31 others had been injured.

LATEST: Thailand mall carnage. What we know so far

Local media reported that the shooter, wearing a helmet and mask, took selfies and streamed the attack online.

It's not clear whether the attacker began shooting at people before he entered the building or not, but one video posted on Twitter appears to show a man sheltering behind a car door which looks like it has been covered in blood.

Warning: This video contains disturbing images

Local media reported that more shots had been heard inside the building where the gunman held an unknown number of hostages.

More footage apparently recorded from security cameras inside the mall shows the masked man walking in an empty area with an assault rifle in his hand.

The shooting prompted a massive response from Thai security forces who reportedly stormed the building.

Police said before midnight that the mall had been secured, but they did not say if they shooter had been captured or killed.

Another social media video shows a group of men quickly carrying an injured person through a mall parking lot, where they are placed into the back of a van and presumably rushed to hospital.

Some social media users encouraged people in the area to go to hospitals and donate blood.

The Thai army asked local media to cease their live coverage to avoid giving the shooter updates on their plans, the Bangkok Post reported.

The gunman's Facebook page was shut down when he began live streaming the attack, but some reports said that he had previously left the message “Death is inevitable for everyone” on the page earlier in the day.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!