(AFP) Posted Wednesday August 25, 2010 - 9:17am
Three of the eight people killed in a Manila bus hijacking were Canadian nationals, Ottawa said Wednesday.
Canada's
foreign affairs department said in a statement it "can confirm that
five Canadian citizens were involved in the bus hostage taking in
Manila. Among these, we are aware that three have died."
Canadian consular officials in Manila have offered assistance to those involved and their families, the department added.
Hong Kong has said they were dual nationals living in Hong Kong.
According
to public broadcaster CBC, two young girls, Song Yi (Jessie) Leung and
her sister Chung See, and their father Kam Wing (Ken) Leung were slain
during the hijacking.
The girls' brother, Jason Leung, 18, was hospitalized with a skull fracture. His mother is reportedly at his bedside.
On
Monday, a disgruntled former police officer hijacked a tourist bus in
downtown Manila, which the Hong Kong government said had been carrying
21 Hong Kong tourists.
A 12-hour standoff that ended when police
fired tear gas into the bus and a sniper shot the gunman in the head.
But by then eight of the tourists on board had been killed, sparking a
torrent of criticism over the police tactics.
Canadian Foreign
Minister Lawrence Cannon said: "Canada welcomes the commitment of
Philippine authorities to conduct a full investigation of the incident."
