AT least 36 people were killed after a “white gunman speaking English” stormed a Manila casino and set fire to gambling tables before burning himself to death, reports The Sun.
Most of the victims are thought to have been women who suffocated on smoke from the fires as desperate guests and gamblers clambered over each other to get to the exits in a rush to save their lives.
Explosions were also heard coming out of the building in what guests described as "two hours of panic" with some people said to be leaping from balconies to save themselves.
The man, who is thought to be a white “English speaker” with a moustache, raced into the second floor of the Resorts World Manila casino shortly after midnight and fired an assault rifle at betting machines and TV screens.
As terrified guests began screaming and running for their lives, the gunman pulled out a bottle of gasoline, poured it over gaming tables and set it ablaze.
He then stuffed his rucksack with 311m Philippine pesos (£1.7m) of casino chips before fleeing in the mayhem.
Police immediately swarmed the hotel and began sweeping through the smoke-filled complex before finding the attacker in one of the hotel rooms dead, having set himself on fire.
The hotel claims he also shot himself.
Philippines national police chief Ronald dela Rosa said: "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."
The casino chips were in a bag in the toilet.
Manila's chief of police, Oscar Albayalde, added: "It's either he lost in the casino and wanted to recoup his losses or he went totally nuts."
More than 50 people have been raced to hospital after the attack – which police were quick to deny was terror, despite the nation being gripped in a fight with ISIS.
It is claimed the bodies were found on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the casino area.
Heavily-armed police swarmed the hotel in the moments after the robbery as horrified witnesses claimed it was a terror attack.
ISIS initially claimed "lone wolf soldiers" carried out the attack, according to the SITE Intelligence Group that monitors terrorist organisations.
Police described the gunman as “foreign-looking, a Caucasian, about six feet tall” and said he spoke English.
Mr dela Rosa told local media: "We cannot attribute this to terrorism. We are looking into a robbery angle because he did not hurt any people and went straight to the casino chips storage room.
"He parked at the second floor and barged into the casino, shooting large TV screens and poured gasoline on a table setting it on fire."
Footage posted on social media shows scores of people frantically running from the hotel and casino complex as loud bangs were heard.
Chilling photos from the scene shows victims lying down while others were seen being carried out of the building.
Johnny Ordanza, an employee of the hotel, said he saw the gunman setting tables on fire on the second floor of the casino and firing shots.
He told Manila radio station DZMM: “There were other gunmen because we can hear gunshots elsewhere."
“They were not targeting the casino players, and we rushed out through the emergency exits.”
Resorts World Manila is situated opposite the Ninoy Aquino International Airport - one of the busiest airport terminal in the country.
It features four hotels, several bars, as well as a casino, shopping centre and a cinema.
The incident comes as authorities are currently battling Islamic State militants in the south of the country.
President Rodrigo Duterte sent soldiers to the city of Marawi - where clashes there have left at least 171 people dead.
Duterte imposed martial law last week across the southern region of Mindanao to crush what he said was a rising threat of Islamic State.
It has sparked fears that the militants may attack elsewhere to divert the focus of thousands of troops trying to quell the siege.
BDST: 1110 HRS, JUN 2, 2017
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