Blast hits Philippine mall

Small-scale bombings are common in the southern part of the Philippines, where Muslim and communist fighters sometimes use explosive devices as a means to extort money.

The country has been rattled by a number of explosions in recent weeks.
The congressional building in Manila was bombed last week in an apparent assassination attempt on a Muslim politician.

The attack came barely a month after an explosion in a shopping mall in the capital Manila killed 11 people.

Police have confirmed that the Glorietta mall blast was caused by a gas explosion but a final report on the cause will be completed within the coming weeks.