Manila: Gunmen take over school bus, 32 held

Manila, Mar 28: Two armed men took over a school bus in the Philippine capital, Manila, today and were holding 32 children and two teachers hostage, radio reports said.

The men, who were being chased by police after a failed hold-up, stormed the bus near the Manila City Hall.

Television showed pictures of children waving from inside the bus, but they did not appear to have been harmed. Reports said the men were armed with an Uzi submachine gun, a .45 revolver and two grenades.

The bus was surrounded by an elite police team and negotiations were in progress, the reports said.

''Hopefully we can convince the hostage-takers,'' said General Reynaldo Varilla, head of the national capital region police command, in a radio interview.

''I have instructions to ensure no one gets hurt.''

Reuters