Reports of gunfire and explosions outside Resorts World Manila leisure complex in Philippines - UPDATED

RT
Thu, 01 Jun 2017 18:02 UTC

© Dexter Cabalza‏ / Twitter

Thick smoke coming off from the top floor or Resorts World Manila. Gunshots were allegedly heard by people inside the casino area.

SWAT teams and fire brigades have surrounded the large Resorts World Manila complex, located next to the Philippine capital's international airport, after reports of gunfire and explosions inside.

Eyewitnesses posted videos on Twitter in which apparent gunshots could be heard emanating from the country's biggest leisure center, which includes a mall, cinema and casino, while photos were uploaded of a panicky crowd gathered outside.

One picture featured white smoke billowing from the top of the complex.

Casualties were seen being carried out on stretchers and loaded up onto ambulances, or helped to make their own way out of the center in the aftermath of the incident, which occurred at about 1:30am local time on Friday morning.

© Google Maps

Comment: Update (June 2): At least 36 bodies were found in the Resort World Manila leisure complex after gunman started a fire there, causing mass suffocation, Metropolitan Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said. Philippines police are treating the attack as a botched robbery.

Most of the victims are believed to have suffocated in the smoke, which filled the building after the unidentified gunman used a canister of gasoline to start fire at the casino earlier on Thursday night. The gunman, armed with an assault rifle, was probably trying to steal casino chips, Philippines police chief Ronald dela Rosa told media.

The attacker has reportedly been described as a tall, English-speaking man with a pale complexion.

The police chief said that the suspected gunman was later found dead in a hotel room after apparently committing suicide.

"He burned himself inside the hotel room 510 ... He lay down on the bed, covered himself in a thick blanket and apparently doused himself in gasoline," dela Rosa said.

Meanwhile, the resort's owner, Travellers International Hotel Group, Inc. said in a statement that "we have been informed of several casualties, the number and identities of whom have yet to be determined."

Panic quickly spread when the man, armed with a rifle, entered the casino, with reports describing a stampede and people jumping out of windows. More than 50 people were reportedly treated in hospitals for various injuries and smoke inhalation.

Update #2: Police In Philippines Say Casino Attacker Was Indebted Former Government Worker

Police in the Philippines say the man behind the fire attack on a casino that killed 37 people was a heavily indebted gambler who had been fired from his government finance-department job.

The police in their statement on June 4 stressed that the incident was not terror-related. The Islamic State (IS) militant group had claimed responsibility for the attack.

"This is not an act of terrorism, but this incident is confined to the act of one man alone as we have always said," Oscar Albayalde, chief of the Manila police force, said.

He identified the suspect as Jessie Carlos, 42, a father of three who had been fired from the Department of Finance for nondisclosure of assets and liabilities.