MANILA - A gunman burst into a casino in the Philippines on Friday, firing shots and setting gaming tables on fire, and at least 36 people were killed, most of them suffocating in thick smoke, in what officials believe was a botched robbery.

There was no evidence linking the attack at the Resorts World Manila entertainment complex to fighting between government troops and Islamist militants in the country's south, said Ernesto Abella, a spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte.

"All indications point to a criminal act by an apparently emotionally disturbed individual," Abella told a news conference. "Although the perpetrator fired warning shots, there apparently was no indication that he wanted to do harm or shoot anyone."

Police said the gunman killed himself soon after the attack, and they later announced they were looking for a second "person of interest" who was believed to be a Philippine national.

Most of the dead suffocated in the chaos as guests and staff tried to flee choking smoke at the complex after the attack began shortly after midnight. Officials said at least 54 people were injured.

Oscar Albayalde, chief of the capital's police force, said those who died were in the casino's main gaming area.

"What caused their deaths is the thick smoke," he told reporters. "The room was carpeted, and of course the tables (were) highly combustible."

A Resorts World Manila official said 13 employees and 22 guests were among the dead.

China is maintaining close contact with the Philippines to confirm whether any Chinese citizens were killed or injured in the attack, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing in Beijing on Friday.

Hua expressed sadness for the innocent people who died and sent condolences to those injured in the attack, adding that she believes the Philippines can deal with the incident properly.

At dawn, the body of the suspected gunman was found in a hotel room in the smoldering complex, which is close to Ninoy Aquino International Airport and an Air Force base, police said.

"He lay down on the bed, covered himself in a thick blanket and apparently doused himself in gasoline," national police chief Ronald dela Rosa told a news conference.

Dela Rosa told DZMM Radio: "We cannot attribute this to terrorism. We are looking into a robbery angle because he . . . went straight to the casino chips storage room."

Reuters