Manila hijacking ends in bloodshed
A 12-hour hostage drama onboard a hijacked tourist bus in Manila, capital of the Philippines, has ended in bloodshed with the angry former policeman hijacker being shot dead by a police sniper. There were 24 people on the bus when the hijacker, Rolando Mendoza, took control of it in Luneta Park. He let nine people off the bus during the siege – two women, three children, a diabetic man and three Filipinos, leaving 15 people still onboard. Negotiations were ongoing into the night, but tensions escalated and the bus driver, who was seen crawling from the back of the bus to escape, said that Mendoza had started shooting the tourists. Police snipers then took action. The hijacker killed eight tourists from Hong Kong before authorities managed to take their shot. Local hospitals reported that seven bodies were brought in, along with another two of the surviving hostages, who were wounded and in a serious condition, while the remaining five are under observation. Following the bloodshed, authorities in Hong Kong have warned against all travel to the Philppines, and have requested that any other tourists from Hong Kong still in the country leave soon. All upcoming tour groups were immediately cancelled.
A 12-hour hostage drama onboard a hijacked tourist bus in Manila, capital of the Philippines, has ended in bloodshed with the angry former policeman hijacker being shot dead by a police sniper. There were 24 people on the bus when the hijacker, Rolando Mendoza, took control of it in Luneta Park. He let nine people off the bus during the siege – two women, three children, a diabetic man and three Filipinos, leaving 15 people still onboard. Negotiations were ongoing into the night, but tensions escalated and the bus driver, who was seen crawling from the back of the bus to escape, said that Mendoza had started shooting the tourists. Police snipers then took action.
The hijacker killed eight tourists from Hong Kong before authorities managed to take their shot. Local hospitals reported that seven bodies were brought in, along with another two of the surviving hostages, who were wounded and in a serious condition, while the remaining five are under observation.
Following the bloodshed, authorities in Hong Kong have warned against all travel to the Philppines, and have requested that any other tourists from Hong Kong still in the country leave soon. All upcoming tour groups were immediately cancelled.