Eight tourists die in Manila gun drama
Eight Hong Kong tourists were killed in a bloody end to the hijacking of a bus in Manila by a police inspector, who was also killed when officers stormed the vehicle.
Police moved in to end the standoff after about 10 hours when shots were heard from the bus on which 15 Hong Kong tourists were being held.
The drama began around 10 am yesterday when a disgruntled police inspector seized a busload of at least 20 tourists in the historic district of Manila. He freed nine people.
President Benigno Aquino said in a televised briefing in Manila that taking the bus by force was the “final optionâ€.
The police inspector was dismissed earlier this year for allegedly extorting money from a drug suspect.
Bloomberg reported that the incident underscores the risks of traveling and working in a country ranked 130th out of 149 in the Global Peace Index, a measure of factors such as violent crimes, access to weapons and political instability.
The Philippines attracted 2.7 million tourists last year.
Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang said at a briefing yesterday that all Hong Kong citizens should leave the Philippines as soon as possible.
Ian Jarrett
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