At least 36 bodies have been recovered from a casino and hotel complex in Manila after a gunman opened fire in what officials say was a botched armed robbery.
Witnesses say the man began shooting at television screens inside the casino with an automatic rifle shortly before midnight local time.
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The man then started several fires before filling a backpack with casino chips worth around £1.7m. The gunman reportedly dropped the backpack while being chased out of the casino by police and security guards.
Police chief Ronald Dela Rosa said the gunman then fled on foot to the hotel portion of the complex where he was found dead after setting himself on fire.
"He lay down on the bed, covered himself with a thick blanket, apparently poured petrol on the blanket and burned himself" – Dela Rosa
Video of the aftermath of the shooting shared on social media shows casino customers and staff struggling to flee the burning building.
Dozens of people were injured in the panic following the incident, most of whom were "suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation", Reuters reports. "Some had injuries such as fractures [but] none had gunshot wounds."
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