8 Killed as Suspects in Manila Seek to Escape

Eight people were killed and more than 30 injured Sunday when a gang robbing stores inside a Philippine mall hurled a grenade at shoppers outside the complex in an attempt to escape police, authorities said.

Four suspects were arrested, but four others escaped after robbing jewelry shops inside the mall in the Manila district of Paranaque.

Police said a robber acting as a lookout tossed a grenade at police officers, who were rushing to the mall in response to the robberies. The grenade exploded on a street crowded with people shopping or on their way to a nearby church to attend Palm Sunday services.

“There were hundreds of people around when I heard an explosion, and I fell down. I shouted, ‘Help! Help!’ But the people around me were all lying on the ground, and they were bloodied,” street vendor Lilia Alloso said at a hospital, where she was treated for shrapnel wounds.

One of those killed was a mall security guard shot by the robbers during their escape.