At least 36 dead in attack on Philippines casino - official

(REUTERS) At least 36 people died after a gunman burst into a Manila casino, firing shots and setting gaming tables alight, a spokesman for the Philippine president said on Friday, in what officials believe was a botched robbery attempt.

There was no evidence linking the attack at the Resorts World Manila entertainment complex to fighting between government troops and Islamist militants in the country's south, said Ernesto Abella, a spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte.

"All indications point to a criminal act by an apparently emotionally disturbed individual," Abella told a media conference. "Although the perpetrator gave warning shots, there apparently was no indication that he wanted to do harm or shoot anyone."

Most of the dead suffocated in the chaos as guests and staff tried to flee choking smoke at the complex after the drama that began shortly after midnight (1600 GMT).

Oscar Albayalde, chief of the capital's police office, said those that died were in the casino's main gaming area.

"What caused their deaths is the thick smoke," he told reporters. "The room was carpeted and of course the tables, highly combustible."

Resorts World Manila official said the dead included 13 employees and 22 guests.

DEATH IN ROOM 510

Around dawn, the body of the suspected gunman was found in a hotel room in the still-smoking complex, which is close to Ninoy Aquino International Airport and an air force base, police said.

"He burned himself inside the hotel room 510," national police chief Ronald dela Rosa told a media conference. "He lay down on the bed, covered himself in a thick blanket and apparently doused himself in gasoline."