Horror of tourists in Manila gun attack
DOZENS of tourists were feared dead or injured last night after gunmen stormed a hotel resort in the Philippines capital Manila and shot at terrified guests.
Explosions and gunfire were heard at Resorts World Manila – a shopping centre and hotel complex near the country’s international airport. Guests fled under gunfire as smoke billowed from windows. Staff reported seeing a masked gunman on the second floor of one hotel, firing at guests.
Another witness reported that someone poured flammable liquid on a casino table before setting it on fire. Armed officers were sent to the complex shortly after midnight as well as fire engines and police marksmen.
Isis has claimed responsibility for the attack at the tourist hotspot and said ‘lone wolf soldiers’ from its group had carried it out. The Philippine Red Cross said at least 25 people were injured and had been taken to various hospitals.
Kentron Lopez, who works in the resort, described people jumping from escalators as they tried to escape. Ronald Romualdo, a maintenance worker, said ‘several people were injured’ and he saw a woman fall from an upper floor while trying to escape.
A spokesman for the hotel said on Twitter said the resort was ‘on lockdown’.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte imposed martial law last week across the region of Mindanao, about 1,00km south of Manila, to crush what he said was a rising threat of Isis there.