Tourist bus full of schoolchildren hijacked near Manila city

http://english.people.com.cn/200703/28/eng20070328_361740.html

A tourist bus full of children and foreigners were hijacked by two armed robbers in front of the Bonifacio Shrine near the Manila City Hall Wednesday morning, said the police.

The police said they were chasing the two robbers who boarded the bus with an estimated 32 children, two school teachers and an undetermined number of foreigners.

Television footage showed children waving from the bus window but then were prevented from doing so by the hijackers.

"This is an ongoing operation. Police were chasing the two hold- up suspects when they boarded the bus. Police are already in the area," Chief Superintendent Reynaldo Varilla, Metro Manila police chief, told radio DZMM.

Varilla said negotiators started talking to the hostage-takers while police are surrounding the bus.

Police said that the schoolchildren onboard were part of a two- bus group out for an excursion.

Police were tipped off that an ongoing robbery was taking place at around 09:30 a.m. local time (0130 GMT) and an alert was issued to their mobile units.

It was not clear what prompted the hostage-taking

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