A bomb explosion in an upscale shopping mall in the Philippine capital Manila on Friday killed eight people and wounded more than 100, police and local officials said.
Police initially suspected the blast in the Makati business district was caused by an exploding cooking gas cylinder in a restaurant, but police sources later said they found traces of plastic explosives at the site.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the bomb was apparently left near a cellphone repair shop in Glorietta, a sprawling three-storey complex of department stores, high-end fashion boutiques, restaurants, other shops and cinemas.
A general alert has been issued for the rest of the city and for the international airport, officials said. A meeting of the National Security Council was called for later in the day. There were no immediate claims of responsibility. "Circumstances indicate it is highly probable that it was caused by an explosive device," President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said in an address on local television. "We assure everyone that a full blown investigation is now under way."