Philippine bus hijacking ends with eight dead

A 12-HOUR hostage stand-off on a hijacked Philippine bus ended in bloodshed yesterday, with officials saying at least seven Chinese tourists were dead along with the disgruntled ex-policeman who seized their vehicle in a bid to get his job back.

At least six captives survived, four of whom were seen crawling out the back door of the bus after Philippine police stormed it when the hostage-taker started shooting at the 15 Chinese tourists inside, said police Senior Superintendent Nelson Yabut.

He said the hostage-taker was killed with a sniper shot to the head after he wounded a police sharpshooter.