A gunman stormed a crowded Manila casino early Friday and used gasoline to set gambling tables on fire, creating clouds of smoke that swept through the crowds and killed at least 36 people, police said. The gunman, who had fled with more than $2 million in stolen casino chips, then forced his way into a room in an adjoining hotel and killed himself.
A gunman stormed a crowded Manila casino early Friday and used gasoline to set gambling tables on fire, creating clouds of smoke that swept through the crowds and killed at least 36 people, police said. The gunman, who had fled with more than $2 million in stolen casino chips, then forced his way into a room in an adjoining hotel and killed himself.
Authorities suspect the man, who has not yet been identified, was trying to rob the casino at Resorts World Manila, a complex of hotels .. A gunman stormed a crowded Manila casino early Friday and used gasoline to set gambling tables on fire, creating clouds of smoke that swept through the crowds and killed at least 36 people, police said. The gunman, who had fled with more than $2 million in stolen casino chips, then forced his way into a room in an adjoining hotel and killed himself.
There was no evidence linking the attack at the Resorts World Manila entertainment complex to fighting between government troops and Islamist militants in the country's south, said Ernesto Abella, a spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte.
"All indications point to a criminal act by an apparently emotionally disturbed individual," Abella told a news conference. "Although the perpetrator gave warning shots, there apparently was no indication that he wanted to do harm or shoot anyone."
The gunman killed himself in his hotel room after being shot and wounded by resort security, police and Resorts World management said. A second "person of interest" who was in the casino at the time was cooperating with the investigation, police said. Most of the dead suffocated in the chaos. Fire bureau spokesman Ian Manalo said many guests and staff had tried to hide from the gunfire rather than get out of the building when attack began shortly after midnight (1600 GMT) and fell victim to the choking smoke.
Oscar Albayalde, chief of the capital's police office, said those who died were in the casino's main gaming area.
"What caused their deaths is the thick smoke," he told reporters. "The room was carpeted and of course the tables, highly combustible."
A Resorts World Manila official said the dead included 22 guests.
(With agency inputs)
1. Soldiers
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Philippines' soldiers stand in front of the Resorts World Hotel following an assault in Manila on June 2, 2017.
Image courtesy: AFP
2. Dousing the fire
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Firemen break the glass panels to allow the smoke to escape from the Resorts World Manila complex Friday, June 2, 2017 in suburban Pasay city, southeast of Manila, Philippines.
Image courtesy: PTI
3. Soldiers waiting
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Police officers are seen outiside the Resorts World Hotel in Manila on June 2, 2017.
Image courtesy: AFP
4. Rescue worker helps victim
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A rescue worker helps a victim IN an ambulance outside the Resorts World Hotel in Manila on June 2, 2017.
Image courtesy: AFP
5. Police officers
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Philippines' police officers gesture as they stand guard by the Resorts World Hotel in Manila on June 2, 2017 following an assault.
Image courtesy: AFP
6. Relatives and friends of victims
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Relatives and friends of victims grieve as they receive news of their loved ones at a hotel at the Resorts World Manila complex, Friday, June 2, 2017, in Manila, Philippines.
Image courtesy: PTI
7. Relatives mourn
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Relatives of a victim cry outside the Resorts World Hotel in Manila on June 2, 2017.
Image courtesy: AFP
8. An injured man
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An injured man lies on the floor after explosions rang out early Friday, June 2, 2017, at the Resorts World Manila complex.
Image courtesy: PTI
