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.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
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."
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarrayIn the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
