Gunman holds about 30 people hostage in Manila shopping mall, Philippines police at the scene

Philippines police were scrambled to respond to a situation in a Manila shopping mall, where a gunman – said to be a “disgruntled” security guard – is holding about 30 people hostage.

The crisis began earlier on Monday when gunfire was heard at the V-Mall in the Greenhills commercial district, local media report. The shooting prompted numerous visitors, vendors, and staff to flee the mall just before it was sealed off.

At least one person was injured amid the chaos, while 30 others were taken hostage by the assailant, Francis Zamora, the mayor of San Juan – part of the Manila metropolitan area – told reporters.

The suspect turned out to be a security guard who was fired from his job at the V-Mall days earlier. He came back on Monday to “make some demands” and tried to convince other security staff “to join him in some sort of coup d’etat against the mall management,” the mayor explained.

He said the man is armed with grenades and multiple firearms. Meanwhile, police have encircled the shopping mall, with heavily armed SWAT teams arriving at the scene.

A SWAT team have taken positions outside the mall © AFP / Ted ALJIBE

The mall is popular among locals as it sells cheap mobile phones and devices, as well as knock-offs of luxury brands.

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