There was a mall bombing in Metro Manila on Friday afternoon. Eight deaths, lots of injuries. Initial reports that it was a propane tank explosion have been updated — a deliberate TNT or C4 explosive device is now the likely culprit. Update: Now eleven deaths, dubious claims of responsibility via text message, and “accident, no, C-4, no, accident, no, C-4, no, accident…”
The blast was in Glorietta, a major Ayala shopping mall in the Makati Business District, near EDSA. I used to go to that mall all the time (since shopping malls are what pass for recreational public space in Makati) and I often passed through it on my way home to work. I still go there whenever I visit Manila on holiday. Probably not the next visit, though.
More on this from others in the Philippines, links added as I find them:
- Inquirer special section and BBC News story.
- MLQ3 has links and updates
- Noelle was nearby and has a video and photos.
- Disneycute was right there and got some photos of the devastation.
- Recording from local tabloid TV shows a cameraphone video from inside Glorietta.
- Full raw video from a witness.
- GMA News has eyewitness interviews with survivors.
- Cameraphone video of the chaos right after the blast.
- Ganns was saved by lunch with his mom.
- Speculation from Trix, who has written about Jemaah Islamiyah.
- Pinoyexchange thread.
<cynical mode=”sarcastic”>
How could this have happened? They have two security guards for men and women at every entrance thoroughly passing a wand over every bag!!!
</cynical>