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Resorts World Manila Video: Gunman In Philippines Started Casino Fire – 36 People Dead [Photos]

By Paula Mooney
Published on: 06:44 PST, Jun 1, 2017

There has been an outbreak of violence at the Resorts World Manila Hotel, as reported by Reuters. The publication notes that the sound of gunfire and explosions were heard outside of the resort. Reports are coming out of the ABS-CBN News verified Twitter account @ABSCBNNews, describing itself as “the Philippines’ most trusted news organization,” which contains “stories, video, and multimedia for Filipinos worldwide, from ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs.”

Authorities and SWAT team members and fire trucks were in the area of the Resorts World Manila Hotel, and photos are flowing into social media as a result of the melee. The Resorts World Manila location from the Philippines|Airmen Village on Instagram does not at this time have photos of the masked men or melee inside Resorts World Manila.

Update: Photos and videos, which might be graphic and disturbing, have now been published on social media. However, the hashtag #resortsworldmanila, which has more than 40,145 posts on Instagram, proves the popularity of the Resorts World Manila location and shows photos of the traumatic situation coming into social media.

Update No. 2: According to Heavy, the gunfire started on the second floor with a lone gunman setting fire to casino tables.

Update No. 3: At least 36 people lost their lives, as reported by NBC News.

The sounds of gunfire in the following video from CNN can be heard, and photos of emergency personnel at Resorts World Manila can be seen as well. The popular Filipino tourist location turned into a site of violence, as the following photos show some of the injured at the location. It was approximately 1:30 a.m. local time on Friday when emergency personnel were shown responding to the melee, which began after midnight.

As seen in the following video found under the Resorts World Manila hashtag, the casino and hotel complex near the international airport is purportedly displayed. The gunfire happened around midnight Manila time, and the video shows people running in confusion as others hoist their phones in the air and record videos.

The Facebook page of Resorts World Manila is also providing updates to the public. As of this writing, the most recent update from the Facebook page states that the organization does not want to share information about the movement of the authorities so as not to jeopardize their tactics.

“Operations of the Philippine National Police are currently ongoing to address the situation. We cannot share with you any details that may jeopardize their movement at this point. We have no official information as to the identity or affiliation of the persons responsible for this attack. The Company has followed emergency protocols to ensure safety of guests and employees as far as the situation allowed. We will update you at the appropriate time. Again, we ask for your prayers and consideration during these trying times.”

As seen in the following tweet with a screenshot of the Resorts World Manila Facebook page, prayers are sought and the Resorts World Manilla is currently on lockdown.

According to April Rafales, a journalist with ABS-CBN News, several men wearing black masks and black clothing stormed the Resorts World Manila hotel and casino, with gunfire occurring in what is believed to be the third floor of the hotel. People jumped from their windows on the third floor, which caused some of the injuries in the attack. It is not known if this was a terrorist attack, but the assumption on the onset of the initial reports coming out of Manila is that it could be a planned terrorist attack.

The Facebook page of April Chiang Rafales went live with videos that displayed the sound of gunfire, showed people running, and have comments from April’s Facebook users telling her to take cover. The following video has been viewed more than 350,000 times on Facebook thus far.

https://www.facebook.com/april.rafales/videos/vb.1280262788/10209908925661350/?type=2&theater

As reported by ABS CBN News, there have been no confirmed casualties as of this time. The publication also notes via the following tweet that a gunman attempted to steal casino chips.

April reported that some of the reporting coming out of the location is being filtered so as not to tip the hand to the attackers and in an effort to keep the authorities and their information close to the vest as they try and contain the breaking situation.

More photos and videos like those above are being uploaded as the situation unfolds.

[Featured Image byBullit Marquez/AP Images]

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