Police and firemen enter the casino side of Resorts World Manila in Pasay City on June 2, 2017.
Philippine authorities scrambled Friday to explain a deadly and freakish chain of events they claimed began as a casino robbery and ended as a gaming floor inferno that left at least 36 people dead from smoke inhalation.
Dozens of other people were injured in a stampede as people rushed to leave Resorts World Manila, which is across a road from the Philippines' main worldwide airport, after the man fired what police chief Ronald dela Rosa said was an M4 assault rifle and set alight parts of a gaming room about midnight.
"The company is working closely with the Philippine National Police to ensure that all guests and employees are safe". "The attack yielded over 100 deaths and injuries from the Christians, thanks and blessings to God".
Stephen Reilly, the resort's Chief Operating Officer, said the attacker was shot and wounded by security guards, and retreated into the hotel room where he doused a bed he was lying on in gasoline and shot himself. Another guest died of an apparent heart attack in fleeing the melee.
Jeri Ann Santiago, who works in the emergency room at the San Juan de Dios hospital, close to Resorts World, said 13 people were being treated, but more were on the way. "There is no element of violence and intimidation that leads to terrorism".
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At around midnight local time Thursday, an armed suspect forced his way into the Resorts World Manila (RWM), an upmarket hotel and casino complex near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. "Our prayers go to all of those affected", US President Donald Trump told a White House press briefing.
During the attack, the gunman engaged in a firefight with casino employees, police said. He didn't say how the United States had determined that the attack was terrorism. It was the subsequent fires and toxic smoke that resulted in many of the casino's visitors dying from suffocation, while numerous other were also injured while fleeing the carnage. Albayalde said the gunman had been trying to steal 113 million pesos ($2.3 million) worth of gambling chips because he might have lost money in a game and wanted to compensate that.
Albayalde said the culprit carried a long firearm similar to a "baby ArmaLite" - a term often used in the Philippines to refer to a variant of the M16 carbine.
Dela Rosa added that the suspect appeared to be Caucasian and had a mustache. It is really sad with what's going on throughout the world with terror.
Resorts World Manila is a hotel heavily populated by tourists.
In the hours after the attack, the jihadist group said "lonewolf soldiers" carried out the assault, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors terrorist organizations.
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